The Philippines said Monday it will send its Coast Guard ships to escort Filipino fishermen being forced out of their traditional fishing grounds in the South China Sea by China’s maritime surveillance vessels.
This came as local media reported that a Chinese ship chased away with water cannons on April 9 at least 80 fishermen on eight boats from three coastal provinces in the main Philippine island of Luzon from the disputed Scarborough shoal.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported Monday the fishermen returned on April 11, but they were again driven away.
A fisherman quoted in the report said the Chinese used rubber boats, threatened the fishermen with guns, took their catch and cut their anchor lines.
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