Philippines urges China to ban cyanide fishing

Asian Economic News, June 7, 1999

MANILA, June 3 Kyodo

Philippine Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado on Thursday rejected China's announcement of a two-month fishing ban in the South China Sea, saying Beijing should first ban cyanide fishing if it is really serious in its campaign to preserve marine resources.

China last week unilaterally declared a fishing ban between June 1 and July 31 in the South China Sea, saying it is necessary to conserve depleted marine resources in the area.

Mercado was alluding to an incident in December last year when the Philippine navy caught 20 Chinese fishermen fishing near the Philippine-claimed Alicia Annie Reef. Confiscated from the fishermen were equipment used for cyanide fishing and two large turtles, considered endangered species in the Philippines.

The defense secretary, noting China's fishing ban would not apply to Filipino fishermen, said Beijing should ban the use of cyanide since it destroys coral and other marine resources.

"We are fishing within our territorial waters...it is they who are intruding into our territory," Mercado said.

Last week, President Joseph Estrada, Mercado and several senior officials traded accusations with Chinese officials over who was at fault in the May 23 sinking of a Chinese fishing boat off Scarborough Shoal, which lies 134 nautical miles (about 250 kilometers) west of the Philippines' Zambales Province.

Philippine officials said a Philippine patrol ship accidentally rammed the Chinese vessel due to rough waters, but Chinese officials maintain that the ramming was intentional.

Philippine officials said the accident would not have occurred in the first place had the Chinese fishermen not encroached in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

In Beijing on Thursday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said the Philippines' explanation does not tally with the facts or with logic.

Spokesman Zhu Bangzao said the Philippine ships chased the Chinese fishing boat for two hours and tried to hit the boat three times, ramming the fishing boat and sending three fishermen overboard.