PH may seek China’s help in protecting marine resources

BEIJING – The Philippines may invite China and other nations to help protect the rich natural resources in the West Philippine Sea amid plans to declare the region as a marine protected area.

National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. has recommended to President Duterte the establishment of the marine protection zone, including Pag-asa Island, to safeguard the environment and limit fishing activities in the country’s maritime domain.

Esperon, speaking to reporters in Beijing, affirmed the President was open to the idea that is similar to the proclamation of a portion of the Philippine

Rise as a marine protected area.

“We are studying the creation of the declaration of some marine protected areas. We did this in the Philippine Rise and so we can, I think we can do it also in the West Philippine Sea. That’s after all our maritime domain, within our exclusive economic zone,” he said.

“A marine protected area gives you choices whether there should be no fishing at all or no exploitation of resources or it could be managed that way we protect the environment, we sustain the environment so it's a good activity that where we can join all other, we can invite nations to join us,” he added.

Asked how the government intends to manage the resources in the territory, Esperon maintained that human activity could be restricted to preserve the marine habitat and species.

“Manage – you allow some harvesting, you have to impose some off season times and some restrictions, less restrictions,” he said.

Esperon explained that the Philippines does not need to get the consent of China since the West Philippine Sea is within the country’s maritime domain.

“If they wish, they can join us. We have, UP has a marine laboratory in Pag-asa. We can do that. In fact that should be good for the whole of South China Sea – fisheries agreement, marine agreement all over,” he added.

Asked if the Philippines can turn away other countries in the marine protected area, Esperon said: “That's what we intend to do or invite them to take care of the area also.”

Esperon earlier announced the government was mulling on the declaration of Pag-asa Island and Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea as marine protected areas. The government seeks institutionalize and promote efforts towards environmental and marine biodiversity protection within the resource-rich West Philippine Sea, he added.

The proposal was made after the government expressed concern over the alleged presence of Chinese vessels near Pag-asa Island as well as poaching of giant clams in the Panatag Shoal.

The West Philippine Sea issue was among the concerns raised by President Duterte during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last Thursday. Duterte and Xi agreed to address the issue though bilateral negotiations but it should affect cooperation between the two countries.