Philippines wants fishing agreement in S. China Sea
REUTERS | September 4, 2007
Philippines wants fishing agreement in S. China Sea
MANILA - The Philippines wants an agreement to allow free fishing in disputed waters of the South China Sea, the head of Manila’s lower house of Congress said on Tuesday.
Speaker Jose de Venecia said Manila had proposed setting up a ’fisheries corridor’ in the South China Sea to avoid potential conflicts that could affect peace and stability.
’A fisheries corridor would be a great step to prevent undue arrests of fishermen from ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and China that have created irritants and hindered regional harmony,’ de Venecia said in a statement on Tuesday.
The fishing zone in the South China Sea ranks fourth among the world’s 19 fishing zones in terms of total annual maritime production, according to the Oslo-based International Peace Research Institute.
The Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, China, Malaysia and Brunei have competing claims on waters in the area.
De Venecia said he had mooted the fishing agreement proposal during a meeting with Chinese Defence Minister Cao Gangchuan at the House of Representatives on Monday and that Cao was receptive to his idea.
De Venecia said the fishing agreement would protect 5 million Filipinos relying on the seas for their livelihood as well as help transform the Spratlys islands in the South China Sea from a zone of conflict to peace and cooperation.
