Chinese, Vietnamese allegedly use cyanide in fishing at Scarborough Shoal: BFAR
Chinese and Vietnamese allegedly use cyanide in their fishing activities in Scarborough Shoal, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said on Saturday.
In a news forum in Quezon City, Nazario Briguera, BFAR spokesperson, said according to Filipino fishermen, the Chinese were intentionally destroying the shoal to discourage Filipinos from fishing in the area.
"According to Filipino fishermen, the Chinese fishermen if I’m not mistaken are using cyanide as well as the Vietnamese fishers," he said.
"According to the statement of our Filipino fishers, these Chinese actually, intentionally destroyed Bajo de Masinloc to prevent Filipino fishing boats from fishing in the area", he added.
Briguera also expressed serious concern over the use of cyanide fishing which is illegal in many countries like the Philippines.
"These are serious concerns that we really need to condemn, on the part of the BFAR, because these actually compromise the integrity of the whole marine resources not only of the Philippines but including adjoining waters of the other countries because oceans are connected," he said.
"It doesn't mean that although it is just destroying the Bajo de Masinloc this does not have an effect in other parts of the ocean. Our currents have interconnectivity. Our fish larvae are moving in different parts of the ocean and it comes from critical marine habitats like Bajo de Masinloc ? so if there is destruction of Bajo de Masinloc it can also compromise the integrity of the sea," he added.
Briguera said the "destruction of the coral reef in Bajo de Masinloc is a clear case of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing."
"If it’s verified that indeed the Chinese fishers are using cyanide, this is a clear violation, this is a clear case of IUU fishing and China being, if I’m not mistaken, being a signatory to the UNCLOS, so they’re committing a violation because you know, IUU fishing undermines the sustainability not only of our waters but the waters of the whole world," he said.
Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard on the West Philippine Sea, said they monitored presence of floating barriers at the southeast entrance of the shoal during the recent deployment of Philippine vessels in the area.
"When we arrived there, when we started our deployment ng Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources which BRP Tamblot arrived on February 15, this is also the time when they install their floating barriers in the morning," he said.
"We can conclude that the Chinese Coast Guard vessel is putting up floating barriers every time we deploy our government vessels whether it’s Philippine Coast Guard or the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. The moment that they monitor that there are Philippine government vessels within the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc, that's the time that they place floating barriers," he added.
Tariela said the China Coast Guard vessels 3063 and 3064 are the vessels that are primarily responsible in laying out the floating barriers every time they monitor the presence of the Philippine government vessels in the Scarborough Shoal. Robina Asido/DMS
