On Thursday, the United States backed the Philippines in condemning Beijing’s unilateral seasonal fishing ban in the tumultuous South China Sea.
The State Department cited a 2016 decision by a court in The Hague rejecting Beijing’s claims and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which China has joined but the US has not.
“The PRC’s unilateral fishing moratorium in the South China Sea is inconsistent with the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling and international law,” said State Department spokesperson Ned Price on Twitter, using an abbreviation for the People’s Republic of China.
“We call upon the PRC to abide by its obligations under international law.”
The Philippines, a US treaty partner, summoned a Chinese envoy on Tuesday in response to China’s unilateral fishing ban declaration and alleged harassment of a marine research vessel by a Chinese coast guard ship.
Every year in the summer, China declares a fishing ban, citing the necessity to establish sustainable marine life due to overfishing in the world’s most populous country.
US supports the Philippines’ fight against China’s fishing ban in WPS
The fishing ban covers areas in the ocean that fall into the EEZ or exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, including Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal.
The Philippines has already filed a diplomatic protest against China’s fishing ban.
However, Beijing’s actions have been mired in sovereignty conflicts. Beijing claimed control over a large portion of the South China Sea, a long-standing source of contention with the Philippines, Vietnam, and other Southeast Asian governments.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) have urged Filipino fishers to continue encircling the Philippine-covered territories despite China’s fishing restriction in almost the entire region of the West Philippine Sea.
Prof. Rommel Banlaoi, a political scientist/security analyst, said that the Philippines and Filipino fishers should not recognize China’s order.
“Testing waters ito eh. Kung nag-comply tayo sa fishing ban, wow, okey so magkakaroon ng customary law na ‘yan. Magiging parang practice na ‘yan ng China. Pero kung icha-challenge natin yung fishing ban, so let’s see how China will react to it,” said Banlaoi.
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