Chinese Authorities Accuse Philippine Navy of Damaging Fishing Nets

Chinese authorities have accused personnel from the Philippine navy transport ship, the Sierra Madre, of repeatedly damaging Chinese fishermen's nets in the disputed waters of Ren'ai Jiao.

Since May 15, 2024, it is claimed that over 2,000 meters of fishing nets have been damaged, and more than 100 meters have been stolen by personnel from the grounded ship.

Chinese law enforcers from the Coast Guard inspected the damaged nets and confirmed the extent of the destruction. Chinese fishermen later collected the remnants of their damaged equipment.

The Philippine government has not yet responded to these allegations.

This incident follows recent tensions between China and the Philippines, highlighted by a statement from Philippine Navy spokesperson Roy Vincent Trinidad. He criticized China's four-month fishing ban in the South China Sea, which includes areas the Philippines claims as part of its exclusive economic zone. Trinidad condemned the ban, calling it a result of "China being out of tune, out of step, out of their minds."

China's annual fishing moratorium, from May 1 to September 16, 2024, is a measure enforced by Beijing but routinely opposed by Manila. The ban disregards the Philippines' exclusive economic zone as defined by a 2016 international tribunal ruling, which invalidated China's extensive territorial claims in the South China Sea. Despite this ruling, China continues to assert sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, a crucial area for global maritime trade. This region, handling over $3 trillion in annual ship commerce, has overlapping claims involving the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.