Philippine navy nets Chinese boats

Philippine navy nets Chinese boats

MANILA (AFP): A Philippine navy patrol engaged a Chinese fishing fleet in a high seas chase off the western island of Palawan and confiscated five small fishing boats, the military said on Wednesday.

A navy patrol spotted the Chinese vessels near the coastal resort town of El Nido in Palawan on Sunday, triggering a chase. Five smaller boats were left behind but the mother ship escaped ignoring warning shots from the navy, the report said.

The smaller boats were towed to a nearby island and impounded. The navy has earlier said that incursions of foreign fishing vessels into Philippine jurisdiction have increased in the past months, despite increased patrols.

The incident took place far from disputed areas in the South China Sea which are claimed by both the Philippines and China and which have been the sites of past confrontations between the Philippine navy and Chinese vessels.