China is "out of their minds" for imposing a unilateral fishing ban policy in the South China Sea (SCS), including areas within the country's exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), a navy official said on Wednesday.

"China is out of tune, out of step, and out of their minds," Navy spokesperson for the WPS, Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, said during a regular press briefing at the Philippine Army headquarters in Taguig City.

Trinidad stressed that China's "unilateral" implementation of a four-month fishing moratorium in the SCS is "illegal and against the international law."

"All actions of China that will threaten our national sovereignty, our territorial integrity, and the welfare of the Filipino people will only serve to strengthen the Philippine Navy's and the AFP's resolve to perform its mandate," Trinidad said. 

"This will further serve as a unifying call, not only for the entire armed forces but for all Filipinos as well," he continued. 

He assured that the Philippines has countermeasures in place should China's unilateral policy would provoke heightened tension in the WPS. 

"Not only the Philippine Navy, but the AFP, will fully support the actions of the other maritime law enforcement agencies, especially the Coast Guard and BFAR (Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources)," Trinidad said.

"Rest assured that we have sufficient contingency plans in place in the event that situations will escalate," he added. 

China's lawfare strategy

Beijing has been implementing an annual fishing ban within SCS "for supposed ecological conservation purposes."

This year's ban began on 1 May and is expected to end on 16 September. 

According to Trinidad, China's enforcement of the fishing ban in WPS started on 1 February 2021.

Since then, Trinidad noted that China has not arrested Filipino fishermen nor those from other claimant countries in the SCS such as Vietnam, Malaysia, and even Indonesia.

"The pronouncement on the ban has been there since 2021. They have announced a four-month fishing ban. But the implementation has not yet been put into effect," he added.

Earlier this month, China ordered its coast guard to arrest supposed trespassers in the SCS "without trial."

Trinidad said China's directive was only for "narrative, deception, and lawfare purposes."

"Today's warfare is more on narratives, more on deception. It is part of the lawfare of China," he said.

"The lawfare is one of their instruments in their cookbook, the ultimate goal of China is to seek control of the South China Sea," he pressed on. 

Continue fishing in WPS

Trinidad assured Filipino fishermen are still free to fish in their traditional fishing ground in the WPS amid China's ban. 

"To our countrymen, particularly those residing in the Bajo de Masinloc, I would like to say that the Philippine Navy and the entire Armed Forces are fully supportive of your actions, of your livelihood, which has been a traditional source of income. 'Wag kayong matakot, magpatuloy lamang kayo (Don't be scared, just continue) and the AFP and the entire government is behind you," said Trinidad. 

Earlier this week, the Philippines opposed and criticized China's move and called it a "provocation."

It added that Beijing's actions violated international law and undermined the country's sovereignty and maritime rights.

Diplomatic protest

AFP Public Affairs Chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said the military organization, along with other concerned agencies on the WPS issues, continues to provide necessary reports in support of the diplomatic actions pushed by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

"We need to gather necessary information that the DFA will be using for its particular diplomatic roles," he said. 

"Definitely the problem in the West Philippine Sea cannot be solved by military solutions, it involves actually the entire government to include with our Filipino people to address on a particular situation or issues in the West Philippine Sea," he added. 

The DFA protested, through a diplomatic note, against China's imposition of a four-month-long fishing ban in SCS. 

The DFA cited Paragraph 716 of the Arbitral Award, which is "final and binding," stating that China, by promulgating its fishing moratorium "without exception for areas of the South China Sea falling within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines and without limiting the moratorium to Chinese flagged vessels, is in breach of Article 56 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea."