By Brian Jules Campued
The Philippines protested on Monday a four-month fishing ban imposed by China in the South China Sea (SCS), including parts of the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
In a statement, the DFA said it does not recognize China’s fishing moratorium from May 1 to Sep. 16 as it includes the Philippines’ maritime zones where it has sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction over.
The unilateral imposition of the fishing ban raises tensions in the contested waters and “directly contravenes the understanding between President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Chinese President Xi Jinping to manage differences through diplomacy and dialogue”.
“The Philippines called on China to cease and desist from the conduct of illegal actions that violates the Philippines’ sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in its maritime zones,” the DFA said.
It also urged China to comply with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the binding 2016 Arbitral Award, as well as the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.
According to the DFA, China’s moratorium on fishing breached Article 56 of the 1982 UNCLOS “with respect to the Philippines’ sovereign rights over the living resources of its exclusive economic zones”.
China’s latest move came a week after it announced that it will detain “trespassers” into the areas it claims in the South China Sea. – avds
