AFP escorts out Chinese fishing boats, seizes bottles of 'cyanide' near Ayungin Shoal

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said its Western Command has prevented Chinese fishing boats from conducting illegal fishing activities near Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

In a statement released on Sunday evening, the AFP said the “unauthorized” Chinese fishing boats were monitored near Ayungin Shoal on October 24.

“In adherence to established protocols, AFP personnel promptly escorted the unauthorized fishing boats out of the area and confiscated bottles containing suspected cyanide chemicals reportedly used for destructive fishing,” the AFP said.

“The swift and measured action prevented further harm to coral reefs and marine life, underscoring the AFP’s commitment to protecting the ecological integrity of the West Philippine Sea for future generations,” it added.

According to the AFP, the Philippine military’s continuous presence and patrols in the WPS are lawful.

These efforts are ensuring the safety of Filipino personnel, upholding territorial integrity, and advancing the protection and preservation of the marine environment within the country’s maritime domain, the AFP added.

GMA News Online has sought comment from the Chinese Embassy in Manila about the incident but the office has yet to provide a statement as of posting time. 

Ayungin Shoal is a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands. The shoal is located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan and is within the Philippines 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The Philippines' BRP Sierra Madre has been grounded in Ayungin Shoal since 1999. 

In January, the Philippines and China agreed to an indefinite implementation of an arrangement for the resupply of daily necessities and rotation missions by Manila to BRP Sierra Madre in the shoal.

Signed in July 2024, the provisional agreement seeks to avoid altercations and ease tensions after a violent confrontation on June 17, 2024 at the Philippine-occupied area.

Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

Parts of the South China Sea that fall within Philippine territory have been renamed by the government as West Philippine Sea to reinforce the country's claim.

The West Philippine Sea refers to the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago including Luzon Sea and the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis."

China has refused to recognize the decision. —KG, GMA Integrated News