Philippines jails 12 Chinese fishermen

Twelve Chinese fishermen received prison sentences ranging from six to 12 years by a Philippine Palawan regional court after the group's vessel rammed into Tubbataha Reef Natural Park in April last year.

According to the Philippine newspaper Philstar, the Palawan court convicted the fishermen of poaching and violating the Tubbataha Reefs National Park Act of 2009. The vessel's captain, Liu Wenjie, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, and 11 other fishermen got sentences ranging from six to 10 years.

Each was fined $100,000, according to the provincial prosecutor Allen Ross Rodriguez, who added that the 12 will be imprisoned at the Iwahig Penal Colony in Palawan.

In April 2013, the Chinese fishermen were caught when their fishing vessel ran aground in Tubbataha Reef. According to The Associated Press, the boat was carrying frozen meat of protected pangolins.

The Tubbataha Reef is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the Coral Triangle, the world's cradle of marine life. The marine and bird sanctuary covers a total area of 97,030 hectares and consists of two massive atolls, which are ring-shaped coral reefs, and the Jessie Beazley Reef.

Fishing and the collection of coral, wildlife and any marine life is prohibited in this area. In 1993, UNESCO designated the reef as a World Heritage Site.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to the security of its fishermen abroad, while educating and supervising them on their fishing activities, the Foreign Ministry said last year in response to the incident.

A Public Attorney's Office attorney defending the men said he would appeal the convictions, Reuters reported.

"We believe the Chinese fishermen are innocent. They did not intend to go into Philippine territory, but were forced by bad weather," the lawyer said.

In January 2013, the USS Guardian ran aground on Tubbataha Reef because of strong waves. Its bow struck the reef.

Angelique Songco, head of the Philippine government's Protected Area Management Board, said a fine of about $300 per square meter of damaged coral is normally imposed.

In 2005, the environmental group Greenpeace was fined almost $7,000 after its flagship struck a reef in the same area.

The World Wide Fund-Philippines said in a statement that according to an initial inspection, the 68-meter-long, 1,300-metric-ton Guardian damaged at least 10 meters of reef.

Contact the writers at zhangyan@chinadaily.com.cn and zhouwa@chinadaily.com.cn