Philippine Coast Guard Detains 24 Chinese Fishermen
The Philippine coast guard has detained 24 Chinese nationals on suspicion of poaching in Philippine waters off the southwestern province of Palawan.
Philippine officials say a coast guard patrol spotted the Chinese fishing Saturday near the island town of Balabac, in southern Palawan. The officials say 23 Chinese men and one woman were captured after a brief chase as they tried to reach Malaysian waters. Coast guard says they found fishing equipment on the Chinese boat, along with fish that had just been caught.
Under Philippine law, poachers can be deported, jailed, or face fines of up to 100-thousand dollars.
Philippine authorities have frequently detained Chinese fishermen near Palawan. The government has appointed a special committee to handle their cases in a way that avoids straining Manila's relations with Beijing.
菲律宾海岸警卫队拘留了24名中国公民，理由是怀疑他们在菲律宾西南省份巴拉望的水域非法捕鱼。
菲律宾官员说，海岸警卫队的一支巡逻队星期六发现这些中国人正在巴拉望南部巴拉巴克岛镇附近捕鱼。有关官员说，这23名男子和1名女子试图逃往马来西亚水域，经过短暂追逐后被抓获。海岸警卫队说，他们在中国渔船上发现了捕鱼设备和刚刚捕获的鱼。
根据菲律宾法律，非法捕鱼者可被递解出境、监禁或者被处以最多10万美元的罚款。
菲律宾当局经常在巴拉望省附近拘留中国渔民。为了避免造成马尼拉和北京之间的关系紧张，菲律宾政府专门任命了一个特别委员会来处理这类案件。
