TOKYO - The detained captain and sailors of a Chinese fishing boat, the 132-ton Minxiayu 05128, were released Wednesday afternoon and sailed directly back to China from Yokoham, sources from the Chinese embassy in Japan said.

The boat was detained on December 21 by the Japan Coast Guard near the Ogasawara island chain for fishing in Japan's territorial waters. The captain named Lin Zongyong was fined 300,000 yen.