Vietnam most frequent poachers in PH waters — Lorenzana

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana during the 79th founding anniversary of the Department of National Defense (DND) at Camp Aguinaldo on Wednesday, October 31, 2018. INQUIRER.net/Frances Mangosing

Vietnamese fishermen are the most frequent illegal fishers in Philippine waters, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Wednesday. 

“Normally, fishing boats ng mga Vietnamese sila ang karamihan na pumapasok sa atin eh,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the 79th founding anniversary of the Department of National Defense (DND) at Camp Aguinaldo.

Citing an annual report of the DND, he said in his speech that the Philippine military detected 46,694 incidents and challenged 40,135 vessels passing through the Philippine territory.

Last June, a television report of GMA-7 showed Chinese Coast Guard personnel taking the best catch of Filipino fishermen in Scarborough Shoal, which sparked outrage on foreign poachers. 

As part of its efforts to beef up the territorial defense, the military’s naval units conducted 3,836 surface missions with a total steaming time of 120,697 hours covering 143,445 nautical miles.

Air units, meanwhile, conducted 5,550 flying hours in 3,490 sorties covering 12,157 nautical miles.

“These operations greatly enhanced the defense efforts of the government by showing our presence in the areas within the exclusive economic zone,” Lorenzana said. /kga

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