Russian patrol boat fires on Japan boat, one dead

TOKYO, Aug 16 (Reuters) A Japanese fisherman died after a Russian border patrol boat fired on a Japanese fishing boat in waters off Japan's northern main island of Hokkaido, a Japanese Coast Guard official said today.

A Russian border guard fired on a Japanese crab boat with four fishermen on board this morning in disputed waters east of Hokkaido between Japan and Russia, the official said.

''We received a report that the fishing boat was fired on and one of the four fishermen was dead,'' he said.

The Japanese official, citing information from Russian authorities, said the Russian border patrol had seized the Japanese fishing boat before firing.

The Russians then took the Japanese boat and the fishermen to one of four islands claimed by both Russia and Japan, the official said.

REUTERS PDS PM0642