- The Philippines’ fisheries bureau said China is trying to “deliberately destroy” Scarborough Shoal.
- The fish-rich atoll is hotly contested by China, but internationally recognized as Manila.
- The bureau on Saturday accused Chinese vessels of pumping cyanide into the shoal’s waters.
The Philippine fishing bureau has accused Chinese fishing vessels of using cyanide to destroy Scarborough Shoal, a fish-rich island in the South China Sea disputed by Manila and Beijing.
“These Chinese fishermen are using cyanide,” Nazario Briguera, spokesman for the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, said Saturday, according to a translation from Filipino by The Philippine Star.
Cyanide fishing is a controversial fishing method that usually involves dumping a highly toxic chemical near coral reefs or fishing grounds to stun or kill fish so they can be easily caught.
It is widely condemned because it indiscriminately affects most marine species in the area, causes severe damage to aquatic ecosystems, and can cause fish that are harmful to handle or eat.
But Brigeura accused Chinese fishermen of using cyanide to “deliberately destroy Bajo de Masinloc to prevent Filipino fishing boats from fishing in the area,” according to The Philippine Star. Bajo de Masinloc is the Spanish name for Scarborough Shoal.
The spokesman estimated that the alleged use of cyanide would result in approximately $17,850,000 in damage to the region, per outlet.
The bureau said it had not conducted a formal study on the total damage, but called it a “serious concern,” The Philippine Star reported.
“We will see more clearly, and we will have proof or evidence that Chinese fishermen and, apparently, other foreign fishermen are really doing this,” said Briguera, per Philippine outlet GMA News.
However, the Philippine Coast Guard said on Sunday that it found no evidence of Chinese fishermen using cyanide and could not confirm the fisheries bureau’s accusation.
“We don’t have any scientific study or any evidence to suggest that cyanide fishing in Bajo de Masinloc can be linked to Chinese or Vietnamese fishermen,” coast guard spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela said, according to GMA News.
Interestingly, the fishing industry in the Philippines was known to use cyanide fishing in the 1960s to catch live fish for aquariums and restaurants, though the practice has since become less common. In 2023, a study from the Cebu-based Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation found that some Filipino fishermen in the South China Sea were still using cyanide.
In response to the accusations, Chinese state-linked tabloid The Global Times wrote that the Philippines “baselessly smeared” China over its cyanide claims. The outlet is known for staying close to the sights of Beijing.
Scarborough Shoal, a pristine atoll now a hotbed of tensions
Scarborough Shoal has been a focal point for territorial disputes in the South China Sea, and is claimed by China, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
The atoll, rich in resources, was used by Filipino fishermen for decades and claimed by Manila in the 1930s. But China recently said that Chinese astronomer Guo Shoujing discovered the shoal in 1279 and that Chinese fishermen have passed through the area throughout history.
In 2016, an international tribunal in The Hague overwhelmingly ruled in favor of the Philippines in a case over ownership of the atoll. China rejected the decision.
Since then Beijing has patrolled the region with warships and coast guards, establishing de facto control over the atoll and often chasing Filipino fishermen.
Meanwhile, fishing groups in the Philippines say hundreds of Chinese vessels are entering the region and overfishing its waters. Researchers in Quezon City accused Chinese vessels in 2018 of causing so much damage to the atoll that the destruction was visible on Google Earth.
Recently, the Philippines accused China’s coast guard of using “dangerous” maneuvers to harass and block a Philippine ship delivering supplies to fishing vessels.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
