Philippines wants talks on fisheries
Play
The Philippines plans to hold fisheries talks with neighbouring countries to avoid rows similar to one that led to the death of a Taiwanese fisherman in disputed waters, President BenignoAquino III said yesterday.
Aquino said the negotiations would set limits for both sides, to help protect Philippine maritime resources and avoid repeated intrusion of foreign fishermen.
“But let us finish the issue at hand first,” he said, referring tothe row between Manila and Taipei over the May 9 incident when the Philippine coast guard shot the Taiwanese fisherman.
Manila apologized for Hung’s death, but Taipei rejected it andimposed a set of sanctions, including the freezing of work visa applications, expelling Manila’s representative in Taiwan, and warning against travel to the Philippines.
Fishermen from Vietnam and China have also intruded into Philippine waters to illegally fish, officials said.
Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said Chinese fishing boats,escorted by a naval ship, were seen fishing at Ayungin Shoal, a Philippine-occupied area in the disputed Spratly Islands of the South China Sea.
“They are fishing inside our territory,” he said. “They are escorted by a naval ship.” The Philippines has filed an arbitration case against China at a United Nations tribunal over the territorial dispute in the South China Sea.
Manila challenges the validity of Beijing’s claim to nearly theentire South China Sea, including areas within the Philippines’ 200-mile (370-kilometre) exclusive economic zone.
China’s claims to most of the maritime area, including severalpotentially resource-rich island groups, are also disputed by Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.
