Manila Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has filed a diplomatic protest against China’s unilateral fishing ban, a four-month fishing ban imposed by China in the South China Sea.
China’s unilateral fishing ban has started on May 1, 2024, will last for four months and will end until September 16, 2024.
The fishing moratorium is effective in parts of the South China Sea, including the areas that covers the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Philippines that China continues to claim.
The DFA insists that the fishing moratorium will only result in an increase in tension in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), and it contravenes what was agreed between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Chinese President Xi Jinping to ease the tensions in the region.
The DFA also calls China to stop its illegal activities that are against the sovereignty, territorial rights and jurisdiction of the Philippines.
“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,” added the DFA.
P1NAS (Pilipinong Nagkakaisa para sa Soberanya) said that the fishing ban had a big impact on Filipino fishermen in the WPS.
“China’s fishing ban is an outright assault on the rights and welfare of our fisherfolk in the West Philippine Sea,” said P1NAS spokesperson Antonio Tinio in a statement.
The group also calls on the Marcos’ administration to implement an independent foreign policy that will give priority to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and interests of the Filipino people.
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Based on the final and binding decision of 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea, China’s fishing moratorium is against Article 56 of the 1982 Un Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
It is said that China’s fishing ban does not cover the sovereignty contained in the Philippines’ EEZ.
“without exception for areas of the South China Sea falling within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines and without limiting the moratorium to Chinese flagged vessels, breached Article 56 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) with respect to the Philippines’ sovereign rights over the living resources of its exclusive economic zone,” said in the final 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea.
As of May 27, 2024, the Philippine government has filed 25 protests against China, and a total of 158 protests have been filed under the administration of President Marcos.