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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Chinese ships 'harass' Filipino fishing boats in Rozul Reef -- PCG spokesman

Chinese ships 'harass' Filipino fishing boats in Rozul Reef -- PCG spokesman

Published Apr 6, 2024 05:49 am

Two China Coast Guard (CCG) ships have reportedly "harassed" Filipino fishing boats that were supporting a maritime operation being conducted by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in the vicinity waters of Rozul (Iroquios) Reef in the Kalayaan Island Group (Spratly Islands), according to a coast guard spokesperson.

Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for West Philippine Sea, said the harassment occured last Thursday, April 4.

Around 25 fishing boats volunteered to assist PCG's BRP Cabra and BFAR's BRP Lapu-Lapu in dropping floating aggregate devices (payao) in the vicinity of Rozul Reef when they were allegedly shadowed and circled by CCG vessels with tail number "21551" and "21556".

Tarriela said the CCG ships were the usual interdictors in the resupply operation in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal.

"The Chinese Coast Guard vessels went as far as pretending to man their water cannons and threatening the Filipino fishermen," he noted.

This, according to the PCG official, demonstrated China's "unlawful behavior aimed at depriving the Filipinos of their rights to access the resources in our Exclusive Economic Zone."

"This aggressive action stems from China's greed and unfounded claim that these waters belong to them based on their imaginary dashed line," he added.

Rozul Reef is located at approximately 128 nautical miles away from Palawan, within the Philippines' 200-nautical mile EEZ.

Located at the southern end of Recto (Reed) Bank in the northeastern portion of Kalayaan Island Group in Palawan, Rozul Reef was known as a haven for different species of fish and other marine life thanks to the natural coral reef that grew around it which served as their shelter.

But in September 2023, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) discovered an extensive damage in the corals surrounding Rozul Reef and it suspected that the swarming of Chinese vessels in the area had something to do with it.

China had denied such accusation by the AFP.

Read related story: ‘There’s nothing left’: AFP observes massive coral reef damage in WPS after Chinese swarming

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