Philippines reports progress on talks with China over fishing ban policing dispute

Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said his administration is “making some progress” in talks with China on curtailing its unilaterally imposed fishing ban in the South China Sea.

Every summer since 1999, the Chinese government has enforced a fishing ban across the South China Sea north of the 12th parallel, including in areas of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. This year’s ban will stretch from 1 May through 16 August and will include waters in the Philippine provinces of Antique, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, and Batangas.

China claims it imposes the ban to promote sustainable fishing and allow for replenishment of fish stocks, but the Philippines has repeatedly protested China’s policing of the ban as a violation of its sovereignty.

The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs filed diplomatic protests against the ban in 2021 and 2022, citing a 2016 ruling from the United Nations’ International Court in The Hague awarding the Philippines rights to the disputed area. China has ignored the ruling and has aggressively patrolled the area with both its navy and coast guard, routinely harassing Filipino fishermen.

However, China has ignored the U.N. International Court ruling and has rejected the Philippines’ diplomatic protests. At a press conference in Beijing in June 2022, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said China could not accept the DFA’s “unwarranted accusation.”

On Tuesday, 20 June, Marcos said he had broached the topic of harassment of Filipino fishermen with China President Xi Jinping in January 2023, had followed up with Chinese officials in May, and that they had promised to continue dialogue on the issue, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

“These things do not come very quickly … but we are slowly making progress because the key to that is the improved communication between the Philippine government and the Chinese government,” Marcos said. 

Marcos said this year, China gave more advance notice about its ban, which had allowed his government some measure of planning time.

“We already have coordination with [China] when there is a fishing ban, so there won’t be a sudden fishing ban. At least we can have a plan. We are making some progress in that regard,” Marcos said. “When they say there will be a fishing ban in two months’ time, we can make a plan. What will our fishermen do? So let’s give them another livelihood or another source of income.”

Optimally, Marcos said he would like the estimated 376,000 Filipino fishermen in the West Philippines Sea to be permitted to fish without being troubled by Chinese authorities. The disputed area of ocean accounted for around 6 percent to the country’s total fisheries production in 2022.

On 16 June, a Chinese military vessel reportedly shadowed a Philippine civilian patrol vessel, the latest in a series of aggressive moves from the Chinese navy against Philippine maritime interests. Marcos downplayed the incident, describing Chinese activity in the area thus far during the 2023 fishing ban as less intense than previous years.

“The latest report is that they were just tailed, unlike before [when] they were being blocked. So there’s a little progress there,” he said. “That is because we are continuing to talk to the Chinese government, President Xi, in every way.”

Marcos said he has avoided broaching the issue of territory claims with Xi or other Chinese counterparts, choosing to focus instead on working to minimize China’s interference with Filipino fishers.

“Let’s not talk about the territory because we can’t decide [on] it now that we are talking. Let’s prioritize the fisheries, because I say, the people are innocent. Why should we punish them?” he said, paraphrasing his comment to Xi at their most recent bilateral meeting in January.

Marcos has ordered the Philippine Coast Guard and the DFA to create a map of the Philippines’ fishing grounds in the West Philippines Sea to clearly delineate to China where he believes domestic fishers should be allowed to fish unmolested.

Photo courtesy of Salma Bashir Motiwala/Shutterstock