PCG: China Coast Guard should not be entrusted with WCPFC tasks

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Thursday said the China Coast Guard (CCG) should not be entrusted with the responsibilities of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).

Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Commodore Jay Tarriela said it was observed that CCG vessel 5303 did not inspect Chinese maritime militia vessels when it arrived in Escoda Shoal recently.

“This situation highlights that the CCG should not be entrusted with the responsibilities of the WCPFC to board fishing vessels, as their true objective is not to combat illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing (IUUF),” Tarriela said in a statement.

“The PRC's aim appears to be the innovative legitimization of its unlawful presence and activities in the West Philippine Sea, disguised under the pretense of maritime law enforcement, " he added.

The WCPFC was established by the Convention for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean which entered into force in June 2004.

It addresses issues like unregulated fishing, overcapitalization, excessive fleet capacity, vessel reflagging to escape controls, insufficiently selective gear, unreliable databases, and insufficient multilateral cooperation, among others.

China and the Philippines are member states of the WCPFC.

According to Tarriela, China registered CCG 5303 on the WCPFC Register of Authorized Inspection Vessels.

But he said CCG 5303 personnel, since they arrived at Escoda Shoal to replace the CCG vessel 5901, did not inspect the Chinese maritime militia vessels in the shoal to check their compliance with fishery laws.

“Instead of conducting inspections, they interacted with the crew of the CMM as if they were familiar acquaintances, sharing meals together,” Tarriela said.

“It is evident that no formal boarding procedures were carried out by the CCG to question the CMM’s intentions, despite their prolonged presence without any signs of fishing, " he added.

According to Tarriela, the CCG recognizes Chinese maritime militia vessels as a part of their operations helping them to encroach the exclusive economic zones of other countries in the South China Sea.

“These state-subsidized maritime militia support the CCG and the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in intimidating neighboring maritime states such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines,” he added.

GMA News Online sought comment from the Chinese Embassy in Manila about the matter but it has yet to respond as of posting time. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News