3 Chinese fishing vessels in poaching incident escape anew

MANILA, Philippines - Three Chinese fishing vessels engaged in poaching and the illegal trade of endangered sea turtles off southern Palawan have escaped anew from maritime patrol units.

Authorities earlier monitored Chinese fishing boats near Hasa-Hasa Shoal, some 60 nautical miles from mainland Palawan but which is also being claimed by China.

“The Chinese vessels were able to escape before our joint team aboard three boats could nail them down,” the source said.

The source was referring to a joint operation launched on Saturday that included three vessels from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Philippine National Police-Maritime Group Special Boat Unit (SBU) to intercept the Chinese ships poaching in the area.

In May this year, 11 Chinese fishermen were captured after the SBU unit at Hasa-Hasa Shoal intercepted their fishing boat loaded with 190 live and 234 dead turtles.

A Chinese warship also ran aground near the area in July 2012 that prompted the Philippine government to file a diplomatic protest with the Chinese embassy.

“The Chinese fishing boats are no longer engaged in the actual harvesting of turtles in the area. They are just there in Hasa-Hasa to do trade with their local contacts,” another source told The STAR during a trip of journalists last August to the Philippine-held Pag-Asa Island, part of the disputed Spratlys.

He said that sea turtles command higher prices and Chinese fishermen pay up to P23,000 for a small one, while the bigger ones fetch from P40,000 to P63,000 each.