China, Philippines to ban fishing in disputed South China Sea
The Philippines and China are set to impose fishing bans in the South China Sea amid a tense territorial standoff.
Filipino fishermen wave from a fishing boat bound to fish near Scarborough Shoal in Masinloc, Zambales May 10. Masinloc is the nearest land, about 128 nautical miles away from the disputed Scarborough Shoal.
Erik De Castro/REUTERS
Beijing
China and the Philippines are set to enforce seasonal聽fishing聽bans聽in South China Sea waters where their ships have been engaged in a tense standoff for a month.
China's聽ban聽that begins Wednesday is meant to conserve resources and curb overfishing. The official Xinhua News Agency cited a fisheries official Sunday as saying the聽ban聽includes waters around Huangyan island, which Manila calls Panatag Shoal.
East Asia's 5 most well known island disputes聽
Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said Monday that President Benigno Aquino has decided Manila should impose its own聽ban. Details were expected in the coming days.
The ship standoff at the area also known as Scarborough Shoal started April 10 when Philippine authorities suspected Chinese boats there were聽fishing聽illegally.
Chinese enforcement of its聽ban聽has previously sparked tensions with Vietnam.