PH security council rejects China’s nature reserve at Bajo de Masinloc
File photo of Chinese ships being monitored during a “maritime sweep” off Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal. SCREEN GRAB FROM SEA LIGHT
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines’ National Security Council (NSC) on Thursday rejected China’s approval to establish a national nature reserve at Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) in the West Philippine Sea, calling the move “patently illegal” and a threat to Philippine sovereignty.
NSC Secretary Eduardo Año stated that the Chinese action contradicts the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the 2016 arbitral award on the South China Sea, and the 2022 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties.
He described Beijing’s move as a pretext for eventual occupation rather than genuine environmental protection.
READ: china-to-establish-nature-reserve-at-disputed-scarborough-shoal
“True protection of Bajo de Masinloc demands cooperation, transparency, and respect for international law; not unilateral declarations that restrict access to Filipino fisherfolk under the guise of conservation,” Año said in a statement. He cited evidence of large-scale harvesting of endangered species and reef destruction by Chinese fishermen documented since 2016.
Año said the NSC fully supports the Department of Foreign Affairs in filing a formal diplomatic protest against China’s action.
China State Council
China announced on Wednesday that its State Council approved the establishment of the Huangyan Dao national nature reserve, which the Philippines refers to as Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal, according to Xinhua News Agency.
The approval directs the Ministry of Natural Resources to implement regulations, manage the area, and strengthen enforcement against illegal activities.
China said the reserve aims to maintain the “diversity, stability and sustainability” of Huangyan Dao’s ecosystem. The total area, scope, and functional zones will be announced later by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Xinhua reported.
Bajo de Masinloc lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, but China rejects this and claims sovereignty over much of the South China Sea, part of a pattern of repeated incursions and restrictions on Filipino fishers. /mr
