THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is now probing the impact of the alleged illegal fishing of Chinese ships, which are now moored inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
In an online press briefing Monday, BFAR National Director, Undersecretary Eduardo Gongona, said they started looking into the concern of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) over China’s illegal fishing since it could reduce the country’s food supply.
“The West Philippine Sea is an important fishing ground for Filipino fishermen. It should be enriched and protected against any act, which will destroy this natural resource,” Gongona said.
“Anything which will harm will affect our seas…and those of others. Our seas and bodies of waters are linked,” he added.
Significant food source
Last year, he noted 324,312 metric tons or 7.26 percent of fish caught in the country came from waters in the WPS.
Due to the importance of the country’s EEZ in the WPS to the local fishing industry, BFAR supported the position of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the NTF-WPS to protest the incursion of Chinese ships in said area.
“We condemn all the possible illegal fishing there. And if there are fishermen who will be affected because of the said incident [incursion], we assure the government will continue to address the said incident,” Gongona said.
Currently, Gongona said they have yet to receive any report from the NTCF-WPS on the fishermen who were harassed by the Chinese vessels.
Traditional fishing grounds
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque, however, clarified there are parts of the WPS, such as Scarborough Shoal, where fishermen, regardless of their nationality, could do “traditional” fishing.
“This is not based in a joint fishing agreement, but because of the decision of the Arbitral Tribunal to establish a traditional fishing in Scarborough Shoal, where Chinese, Vietnamese,and Filipinos could do traditional fishing,” Roque said.
“This means it should not be commercial,” he added.
The Arbitral ruling, issued in 2016, dismissed China’s so-called historic claims in the WPS through its nine-dash line.
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