MANILA, Philippines — A militant fisherfolk group on Tuesday hit the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ (BFAR) alleged poor implementation of anti-poaching laws following reports of destructive fishing activities of foreign vessels within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
BFAR said last Saturday that Chinese and Vietnamese fishers were allegedly using cyanide in Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc, which may have damaged billions of pesos worth of marine resources.
According to the group Pamalakaya, foreign fishing vessels would not be able to fish in the country’s territorial waters and poison its resources if the BFAR was properly enforcing laws, to begin with.
READ: BFAR: Chinese, Vietnamese fishermen use cyanide in Bajo de Masinloc
“The Philippine government has a fishing law at its disposal that prohibits foreign poaching and yet it fails to enforce this to prevent Chinese incursion in our territorial waters,” the group told INQUIRER.net in a text message.
Pamalakaya was referring to the Republic Act 10654 or the Amended Fisheries Code which prohibits poaching in Philippine waters.
“It shall be unlawful for any foreign person, corporation or entity to fish or operate any fishing vessel in Philippine waters,” Section 91 of the law said, as quoted in a separate statement from Pamalakaya.
“If the BFAR had only been prompt to enforce such laws, it could have prevented the further destruction of our corals and other marine resources in the West Philippine Sea,” the group’s text message continued.
Pamalakaya likewise said that foreign fishing in the country’s territorial waters should already be under investigation, calling it a probe that is “long overdue.”
“The Philippine government should already be at the stage of filing necessary charges against China, over violation of several local environmental laws,” it added.
Fabrication
BFAR’s claims stemmed from Filipino fisherfolk’s reports that they had spotted Chinese and Vietnamese fishing vessels using cyanide in Bajo de Masinloc.
These allegations of cyanide use among Chinese fishermen, however, were disputed by Beijing, which called such claims a “fabrication” that only escalates maritime tensions.
Despite this, the National Security Council (NSC) previously said that it has instructed BFAR to complete the documentation and gather evidence on the alleged use of cyanide by foreign fishers.
READ: NSC to probe foreign fishermen’s alleged use of cyanide in Scarborough
NSC explained that findings could be forwarded to the Department of Justice and the Office of the Solicitor General to build a case on environmental destruction before an international tribunal.
But NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya cautioned that they have to be careful in conducting the investigation and validating the reports of environmental offenses in Philippine waters by foreign fishers.