Philippines condemns Chinese ‘floating barrier’ stopping its fishing boats

Chinese coast guard boats close to the floating barrier near the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea
Chinese coast guard boats close to the floating barrier near the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea - Philippine coast guard/Reuters

The Philippines has accused China’s coast guard of installing a “floating barrier” in a disputed area of the South China Sea, saying it prevented Filipinos from entering and fishing in the area.

Manila’s coast guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources “strongly condemn” China’s installation of the roughly 1,000ft barrier in part of the Scarborough Shoal, Cdre Jay Tarriela, a coast guard spokesperson, posted on the X social media platform, formerly Twitter.

The barrier “prevents Filipino fishing boats from entering the shoal and depriving them of their fishing and livelihood activities”, he said.

The Chinese embassy based in Manila did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Beijing seized shoal

China claims 90 per cent of the South China Sea, overlapping with the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines. Beijing seized the Scarborough Shoal in 2012 and forced fishermen from the Philippines to travel further for smaller catches.

Beijing allowed Filipino fishermen to return to the uninhabited shoal when bilateral relations were improving markedly under the former president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte. But tension has mounted again since his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, took office last year.

Philippine coast guard and fisheries bureau personnel discovered the floating barrier on a routine patrol on Friday near the shoal, locally known as Bajo de Masinloc, Cdre Tarriela said.

Three Chinese coast guard rigid-hull inflatable boats and a Chinese maritime militia service boat installed the barrier when the Philippine vessel arrived, he added.