Nearly 200 Chinese fishing vessels on Friday returned to waters in the Ogasawara island chain where they are suspected of illegally poaching red coral.

The Japan Coast Guard said that 191 Chinese boats were seen returning toward the Ogasawaras after they had left the area earlier in the week to avoid an approaching typhoon, TBS reported Saturday.

Ogasawara authorities have urged the Japan Coast Guard and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport to strengthen monitoring and patrolling of the seas.

A local Ogasawara official said that the presence of so many boats could harm the local tourism and whale watching industries that provide much of the region's annual income.

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