38 Chinese poachers released

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY (AFP) —Thirty-eight Chinese fishermen were released from a Philippine prison here amid protests by locals yesterday after serving 10 months for illegal fishing.

Chinese embassy officials fetched the 38 men from the provincial jail in Palawan and had them billeted at a local inn as they awaited a flight to Manila and out of the country, said provincial warden Ramon Espina.

They had been sentenced to 10 months in jail last week after they pleaded guilty to poaching and possession of poisonous substances in a plea bargain to avoid a heavier sentence.

About 70 environmental activists and local residents braved heavy rains to stage a protest at the airport where the Chinese were expected to fly out. The group waved banners saying "Do not free the Chinese. They are destroying the future of Palawan."

The protest dispersed peacefully after it was learned that the Chinese missed their flight out.

The fishermen and their two boats were apprehended off the western Philippine resort town of El Nido on Sept. 12 and held without bail.

They faced as much as 10 years in jail for using poisonous substances to stun fish but the justice department settled for the lesser offense of poaching and possession of poisonous substances.

The court also fined them $200,000, but they were let go after paying only P300,000 ($5,570), officials said.

Chinese poachers have previously been caught in the waters of Palawan but they have usually been given only light penalties to avoid diplomatic conflicts with China.

The Philippine Navy meanwhile said 21 Vietnamese fishermen had been arrested for poaching on Thursday off the nearby island of Balabac.

Foreign poachers steal marine life worth up to P60 billion from Philippine waters every year, military officials say.