PCG suggests fishing boats use 'live communications' with each other to prevent accidents

The spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Wednesday suggested the use of live communications among fishing vessels to prevent collision and other maritime accidents.

"Ang maganda rito kung meron live communications, medyo magiging calibrated 'yung galaw (ng mga fishing boats). Maiiwasan natin 'yung miscalculations," PCG spokesperson Captain Armand Balilo said on the sidelines of a forum in Quezon City.

On June 9, a Filipino fishing boat off the waters of Recto Bank (Reed Bank) with 22 fishermen on board was allegedly rammed by a Chinese fishing vessel.

The government of China claimed that the incident was just an accident and was unintentional.

Balilo said the PCG will make efforts to improve their communication with the Chinese Coast Guard to avoid another incident similar to the one in Recto Bank.

Lucio Pitlo III of Asia-Pacific Pathways to Progress also suggested the same tool.

According to Pitlo, ASEAN already launched hotline communications to deal with maritime issues in the South China Sea.

However it is only limited to coast guards, defense ministers and officials from concerned agencies, but not accessible to fishermen on fishing vessels.

"There are mechanisms that we have to maximize...Communication line is also another,” Pitlo said in the forum. —KG, GMA News