MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Friday said that it successfully chased off a foreign fishing vessel from the waters of Lawak Island.
Friday’s operation is the sixth time the PCG drove away a foreign vessel within the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG).
The vessel’s position was monitored 2 nautical miles (nm) northeast of Lawak Island, which is well within its 12-nm territorial sea, the PCG stressed.
Upon sighting the foreign ship, PCG personnel were deployed aboard a rubber boat to conduct maritime patrol.
They issued repeated radio challenges and warnings to direct them to leave the island’s territorial waters.
READ: PCG fends off Chinese vessel, 4 small boats off Lawak Island in Palawan
The vessel eventually steered northward away from the island, while the PCG team escorted it from a safe distance.
There were no untoward incidents throughout the operation, the PCG said.
Lawak Island is part of the municipality of Kalayaan in Palawan province.
“Under international law, the Philippines exercises full sovereignty over its territorial sea, where no foreign vessel may fish without authorization,” it stressed.
It added that the act is likewise in violation of Philippine laws, including the Philippine Fisheries Code and the Philippine Maritime Zones Act.
In less than four weeks, the PCG recorded six incidents within the KIG, including China’s fishing vessel YUETAIYU 63168 and four small boats off Lawak Island in Oct. 18 and a foreign fishing vessel off Kota Island three days later.
It also repelled five foreign fishing vessels within the territorial waters of Kota Island last Oct. 11.
Meanwhile, the PCG also reported that Chinese Maritime Militia Vessel 9622 and its sampans were also chased off after being anchored off Kota Island in Sept. 28 and Oct. 9. /gsg
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