NSC to probe foreign fishermen’s alleged use of cyanide in Scarborough

In this March 2014 photo, a Chinese boat can be seen scraping coral reef and giant clams inside Scarborough Shoal. (File photo from Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — The National Security Council (NSC) will investigate foreign fishermen’s alleged use of cyanide in Scarborough Shoal, which is also known as Bajo de Masinloc.

NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya disclosed this information on Monday, noting that the agency is concerned about the report of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) that Chinese and Vietnamese fisherfolk use cyanide to catch fish in the area.

“We at the National Security Council are alarmed by this development that this is happening, but we have to be careful also, so we have to validate and investigate,” Malaya said, speaking partly in Filipino, at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public hearing.

READ: BFAR: Chinese, Vietnamese fishermen use cyanide in Bajo de Masinloc

Filipino fishers approached the BFAR, claiming that Chinese fishermen were using cyanide to fish and to make sure that others could not use the resources in the shoal, according to Malaya.

The NSC official said they have instructed the BFAR to complete its report with the necessary evidence.

“We will investigate this report and if validated, we can forward this to the Department of Justice [DOJ] and the Office of the Solicitor General [OSG],” Malaya said.

Malaya said the DOJ and OSG are currently working on strengthening a case of environmental degradation against China.

“The challenge is to prove the responsibility of the coral degradation and the impact to the environment is coming from these specific group of people,” he stressed.

READ: DOJ chief: Case vs China for environmental damage to be filed early 2024

In October 2023, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said that an environmental case against China may be filed in early 2024.

“We have evidence. It’s just a matter of organizing the evidence and showing it to the proper tribunal. That’s the most important, that we file a case before an international tribunal about the environmental damage caused by China,” Remulla said previously.