MANILA, Philippines – Chinese fishing vessels were spotted off
Scarborough Shoal despite the first day of the fishing ban Wednesday,
the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said.
“If they stay there not to fish that’s OK. The ban covers only
fishing activities in the area,” BFAR director Asis Perez told reporters
in a phone interview.
He said fewer Chinese vessels, however, were seen Wednesday unlike
last Tuesday, noting that no fishing operations took place in the shoal.
As for the Filipino fishers, Perez said they were advised to stay away from the area because the open season ended Tuesday.
He said that as of Tuesday night, a number of Filipino fishing boats merely passed the shoal.
Meanwhile, he said that a BFAR ship will stay in the area to continue
monitoring the situation “because the shoal is a part of our
territory.”
Both China and the Philippines had declared the fishing ban in the
West Philippine Sea after months of bitter dispute about fishing rights
in the area.
China declared an annual ban from May 16 to August 1, which was aimed
to restrain overfishing. The Philippines, meanwhile, did not recognize
the ban, saying it encompasses waters within Manila’s exclusive economic
zone, but President Benigno Aquino III said that it was a chance to
replenish local marine resources.
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Frances Mangosing | INQUIRER.net | May 16, 2012 | Article Link
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