Once again, it seems China’s pursuit of global dominance is having potentially catastrophic consequences for the rest of the world.
The South China Morning Post reported Thursday that fishermen in the Philippines have accused the communist power of deliberately dumping cyanide in the Scarborough Shoal, a disputed territory that’s home to a large commercial fishery.
These allegations come from Filipino fishermen who also fish in the shoal — despite China’s claims that it belongs to China and China alone — and have been advanced by the Philippines Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, The Maritime Executive reported Tuesday.
According to BFAR spokesman Nazario Briguera, while fishermen have used limited amounts of cyanide to make it easier to capture live fish, they believe China is using much more cyanide than is necessary for that procedure.
Instead, Briguera said, China is using this method to “intentionally destroy [the shoal] to prevent Filipino fishing boats to fish in the area.”
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said his country is prepared to pursue legal action against China if it can be proven that China deliberately destroyed the reefs with cyanide, a claim that Beijing, of course, strenuously denies, the SCMP reported.
“If we feel that there is enough ground to do so, we will [pursue charges],” Marcos said. “I do know that there are cases of cyanide fishing, even before, here in the Philippines. But I think the reason that it has been more alarming is that it has become more prevalent.”
China’s foreign ministry dismissed the allegations as “sheer fabrication.”
“The Chinese government attaches great importance to the protection of ecological environment and conservation of fishing resources and resolutely fights against fishing activities that violate laws and regulations,” it said in a statement.
Do you eat seafood?
That said, China has long claimed it has an exclusive claim to the entire South China Sea, including the area of the Scarborough Shoal, which is also claimed by the Philippines.
🇨🇳 #Chinese fishermen have been using cyanide in Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoa) to intentionally destroy the traditional fishing grounds of Filipino fishermen, an official from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/1K5xNAIqr3
— Resonant News🌍 (@Resonant_News) February 19, 2024
In fact, though The Hague rejected China’s claims to the entire South China Sea in 2016 in the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the communist power has brazenly ignored that arbitration and continues to claim territory that belongs to the Philippines and other countries in that area.
Philippine coast guard spokesman Cmdr. Jay Tarriela said there was no concrete evidence that China is intentionally dumping excessive amounts of cyanide into the Scarborough Shoal, according to The Maritime Executive.
But if it is proved, would it be much of a surprise?
China’s quest for global dominance is single-minded and all-consuming.
Beijing has proved time and time again that it will stop at nothing to pursue its interests at the expense of its neighbors, its allies, its enemies and even its own people.
The oceanic ecosystems are all connected in one way or another, and the fact is most of the fish Americans consume does not come from the U.S.
Any intentional destruction of fisheries not only would raise seafood prices but also could also have serious health consequences for people consuming fish from that area.
Again, nothing has been proved yet, but it might be worthwhile to research the origins of your seafood in the meantime.
