MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Thursday (Oct. 15) chased off a Chinese fishing vessel and four small boats within the territorial waters of Lawak Island, west of Palawan.
According to the PCG, the Chinese fishing vessel (CFV) Yuetaiyu 63168 was anchored off the island’s territorial waters.
READ: PCG drives away Chinese militia vessel, 24 small boats near Kota Island
Lawak Island is part of the municipality of Kalayaan in Palawan province.
The PCG noted that, under international laws, the country exercises full sovereignty over its territorial seas, “where no foreign vessel may fish without authorization.”
It deployed a team aboard a rubber boat to the vessel’s location, where it discovered four small boats scattered in the vicinity.
Passengers in the foreign boats were observed to be engaging in fishing.
The PCG personnel issued several radio calls to the Chinese fishing vessel, while circling it three times, but received no response.
It then proceeded to drive away the four small boats.
“The PCG team did not leave the area until the Chinese fishing vessel heaved in its anchor and departed,” PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela said in a statement.
The small boats also retreated back to its mother vessel.
“The PCG team returned to Lawak Island without any untoward incident,” Tarriela said.
READ: PCG drives away Chinese maritime militia vessel, 22 ‘sampans’
The incident follows the PCG’s earlier operations in Kalayaan Island Group (KIG), where it also repelled Chinese Maritime Militia Vessel 9622 and its 24 small boats (sampans) off Kota Island last Sept. 28.
It also drove away the same vessel with 22 sampans near the island on Oct. 9, reportedly fishing and dumping waste at sea.
Five unauthorized foreign fishing vessels were also monitored in the same area on Oct. 11, the PCG added.
“The deployment of small boats from a Chinese mother vessel to conduct fishing activities in these waters is a violation of Philippine laws, including the Philippine Fisheries Code and the Philippine Maritime Zones Act,” Tarriela stressed.
The PCG continues to monitor Chinese fishing vessel Yuetaiyu for any possible further movements.
It added that its surveillance in the KIG against unauthorized fishing or intrusions of foreign vessels will go on. /apl
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