Philippines says it ‘strongly condemns’ move at Scarborough Shoal which prevents its fishing boats from gaining access

Philippines says it ‘strongly condemns’ move at Scarborough Shoal which prevents its fishing boats from gaining access

The Philippines has accused China’s coast guard of installing a “floating barrier” in a disputed area of the South China Sea, saying it prevented Filipinos from entering and fishing in the area.

Manila’s coast guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources “strongly condemn” China’s installation of the barrier in part of the Scarborough Shoal, Commodore Jay Tarriela, a coast guard spokesperson, posted on the X social media platform, formerly Twitter.

The barrier “prevents Filipino fishing boats from entering the shoal and depriving them of their fishing and livelihood activities”, he said.

Philippine coast guard and fisheries bureau personnel discovered the floating barrier, estimated at 300 metres (1,000 feet) long, on a routine patrol on Friday near the shoal, locally known as Bajo de Masinloc, Tarriela said.

  • Lee Duna@lemmy.nzEnglish
    3·
    1 year ago

    Yep, and China is building artificial islands around the SCS

    China has 20 outposts in the Paracel Islands and 7 in the Spratlys. It also controls Scarborough Shoal, which it seized in 2012, via a constant coast guard presence, though it has not built any facilities on the feature. Since 2013, China has engaged in unprecedented dredging and artificial island-building in the Spratlys, creating 3,200 acres of new land, along with a substantial expansion of its presence in the Paracels.

    https://amti.csis.org/island-tracker/china/