What is happening between the two countries?

The Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), which filed the charges on Saturday, said damage from Chinese ships could exceed $17.8 million. “These Chinese fishermen are using cyanide. They are deliberately destroying the Bajo de Masinloc [іспанська назва, яку використовують корінні жителі]”To prevent Philippine fishing vessels from fishing in the area.”– said BFAR spokesman Nazario Briguera at the press conference.

The Philippine Coast Guard is unsure who is responsible for the use of cyanide in the area.

We have no scientific research or evidence to suggest that cyanide fishing in the Bajo de Masinloc can be attributed to Chinese or Vietnamese fishermen.
says Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard.

Scarborough Shoal is an island about 200 kilometers off the Philippines that provides food and money to 385,300 people from the 275,520 metric tons of fish caught there each year.

The most interesting part of this story is that Filipino fishermen use cyanide as a fishing method. Allows you to stun or kill fish for easy daily catch, but This method also destroys coral reefsFish are endangered in the Philippines due to this destructive fishing method and climate change. Scientists from the International Marine Life Alliance calculated for the Wold Wildlife Fund that for every live fish caught with cyanide, one square meter of reef is destroyed. Therefore, the country stopped doing this and switched to more ecological fishing methods. But those who still do it don’t seem to care much about the consequences.

The debate surrounding Scarborough Shoal has been going on for years and shows no sign of stopping. The reason why it has become a geopolitical hotspot lies in two factors:

• The first is that the atoll is rich in aquatic life and has large fish stocks.
• Secondly, it has an inner lagoon that can accommodate ships in stormy weather, making it an ideal stop for boats.

It is worth noting that the wording currently used by Philippine officials and Philippine media suggests that China is using cyanide to “destroy Scarborough and every living thing.” However, this does not appear to be a deliberate policy of the Chinese government and a conscious attempt to actually destroy all life in these waters; so if they can’t reach them, neither will anyone else. The use of cyanide is probably the decision of some irresponsible fishermen.This makes their job easier.