Filipino fishermen found several large buoys with Chinese markings near the disputed Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島) and towed the devices back to shore northwest of Manila, Philippine officials said yesterday.
China seized control of the rocky outcrop of the Macclesfield Bank (Zhongsha Islands, 中沙群島) in the South China Sea in 2012 after a three-month stand-off with Philippine coast guard ships, preventing Filipino fishermen from getting near their traditional fishing grounds.
The shoal is about 125 nautical miles (230km) west of the Philippines.
Photo: Reuters
“Yes, there are buoys there,” said Desiree Edora, mayor of Masinloc Town, which has jurisdiction over Scarborough Shoal. “I already sent the chief of police to investigate the buoys.”
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, believed to be rich in energy deposits.
Beijing has become increasingly assertive in the South China Sea. Rapid reclamation around reefs in the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島) in particular has sparked concern, both in the region and in the US.
Taiwan also claims all the islands mentioned.
On Saturday, nine Filipino fishermen said they had found three long, orange containment booms, used to control oil spills, floating about 4km off Scarborough Shoal. It was the first time fishermen there had found such devices.
“The buoys have Chinese markings,” one of the fishermen told the GMA television network in the area. “The markings showed the company that manufactured it. It even has phone numbers.”
The fishermen said they towed the buoys back to Masinloc to show officials there and turned them over to a coast guard detachment.
They said they did not know why the buoys were there because there was no sign of any oil spills.
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