China bans fishing in the South China Sea, Vietnam and Philippine protests

KOMPAS.com – Tensions are expected to escalate in the South China Sea after Beijing banned fishing in the disputed waters.

China will ban all forms of fishing in waters claimed by Beijing, including areas near Scarborough Shoal, Paracel Islands and Tonkin Bay.

Beijing has unilaterally claimed 80 percent of the South China Sea region, which is also disputed by neighboring countries, including Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.

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China first imposed the same ban on these waters in 1999, in order to help preserve fishery resources in one of the world’s largest fishing areas.

The South China Sea has been providing food and jobs for millions of people in neighboring countries, but overfishing and climate change threaten the sustainability of the region’s ecosystems.

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Launching South China Morning Post (08/05/2020), a fishing ban is implemented to maintain fish catch populations.

The rules will take effect from May 1 to August 16, and the Chinese Coast Guard will ensure that strict steps are taken to enforce these rules.

This unilateral application of the rules has sparked protests from fishing communities in Vietnam and the Philippines. They urged their government to take a firm position.

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Vietnam and Philippines protests

On Friday (05/08/2020), said Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Thi Thu Hang, Hanoi firmly rejected the unilateral decision.

“Vietnamese fishermen have all the rights to fish in waters under their sovereignty,” the Vietnam Fisheries Society said in a statement on its website earlier this week.