Seized Chinese vessel should be punished, fishers’ group says
MANILA, Philippines — The Chinese vessel apprehended by the Philippine authorities should be punished to the “fullest extent of the law," a fisherfolk's federation demanded Sunday morning.
In a statement, the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas or Pamalakaya said that local fishers have been bearing the negative effects of the decrease of fish catch caused by what they said were rampant dredging operations in the provinces of Zambales and Bataan.
"This operation harms the marine life through [the] excavation of seabed and movement of solid particles, noise pollution, and blurring of water that drive away the fish,” Bobby Roldan, Pamalakaya vice chair for Luzon said in a statement sent to reporters.
Roldan, himself a resident fisherman in Bataan, said that the province’s fishing grounds used to be abundant of fish and other marine resources, and also serve as alternative fishing grounds of Filipino fishers who are unable to go farther due to the presence of Chinese vessels and militias in the Beijing-claimed Scarborough Shoal.
"It is already illegal to enter our territory, but they're also robbing us of our natural resources. And yet they still found it in themselves to pass a law against what they consider to be foreigners in the claimed territory in the West Philippine Sea," Roldan also said.
What happened?
In an incident report sent to reporters, the Philippine Coast Guard disclosed that joint personnel of the PCG and the Bureau of Customs spotted and boarded the Zhonhai 68, which they identified as an illegal vessel, seven nautical miles southwest off Orion Point, Bataan on the morning of Wednesday, January 27.
"Upon boarding, the joint operatives discovered the automatic identification system (AIS) transponder of said vessel was turned off and its two Cambodian crewmembers aboard failed to present proper documents," the PCG said.
"The BOC verified that said vessel was granted departure clearance by the Customs office in Aparri, Cagayan more than a year ago. Hence, its presence at said vicinity is illegal and unauthorized. The BOC is set to issue corresponding warrant of seizure and detention against [the] subject vessel."
'Not the first time'
"This was not the first time, and definitely not the only Chinese dredging vessel to operate in our coastal waters," Roldan also said in Pamalakaya's statement.
Last year in June, the MV Zhong Hai 69 Alfa (ZH 69), ran aground off the coast of Botolan, Zambales, causing the catch of small fishers in the province to decrease due to its presence.
At the time, the fishers' group recalled, the ship was carrying and transporting dredged materials from Bucao River to Botolan’s neighboring coastal town Cabangan, Zambales.
"We do not want the local residents in the area to bear the negative consequences of this situation, especially with the possible harm it can cause to the local marine environment," PCG Commandant, Admiral George Ursabia Jr said then in a statement sent to reporters.
Pamalakaya in its statement reiterated its longstanding demands for Philippine authorities "to stop, seize, and punish every Chinese dredging vessels operating in the Philippine waters."
Why does this matter?
- This comes in the wake of China's new law allowing its coast guard to fire at or even inspect foreign vessels found in Chinese-claimed waters, including the West Philippine Sea.
- Foreign Affairs chief Teodoro Locsin Jr. has since filed a diplomatic protest against the measure.
- To this day, Beijing continues to reject the arbitral ruling that the Philippines won in The Hague in 2016 based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which held that China's sweeping nine-dash line claim has no legal basis.
- But no less than President Rodrigo Duterte has asserted that he cannot do anything on the maritime dispute as doing so, he claimed, would mean going to war with them.
- Other members of the Phillippine delegation in the South China Sea arbitration have already said that enforcing the arbitral win does not necessarily mean going to war with Beijing, suggesting other possible measures to uphold the ruling.
“There is a clear and present threat to our sovereignty, marine environment, and socio-economic rights of Filipino fishers. Authorities, especially the armed forces, are supposed to be keeping watch and guarding our national sovereignty, not busying itself with senseless red-tagging and anti-insurgency operations against civilians and activists in urban areas,” Roldan said.
The fisherfolk leader slammed the illegal presence and operations of the recently-seized Chinese dredger, calling these a “highest violation of national territory and patrimony."
— with reports from Patricia Lourdes Viray
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