综合一区欧美国产,99国产麻豆免费精品,九九精品黄色录像,亚洲激情青青草,久久亚洲熟妇熟,中文字幕av在线播放,国产一区二区卡,九九久久国产精品,久久精品视频免费

China / Government

Philippines jails 12 Chinese fishermen

By Zhang Yan in Manila and Zhou Wa in Beijing (China Daily) Updated: 2014-08-06 07:03

Twelve Chinese fishermen received prison sentences ranging from six to 12 years by a Philippine Palawan regional court after the group's vessel rammed into Tubbataha Reef Natural Park in April last year.

According to the Philippine newspaper Philstar, the Palawan court convicted the fishermen of poaching and violating the Tubbataha Reefs National Park Act of 2009. The vessel's captain, Liu Wenjie, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, and 11 other fishermen got sentences ranging from six to 10 years.

Each was fined $100,000, according to the provincial prosecutor Allen Ross Rodriguez, who added that the 12 will be imprisoned at the Iwahig Penal Colony in Palawan.

In April 2013, the Chinese fishermen were caught when their fishing vessel ran aground in Tubbataha Reef. According to The Associated Press, the boat was carrying frozen meat of protected pangolins.

The Tubbataha Reef is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the Coral Triangle, the world's cradle of marine life. The marine and bird sanctuary covers a total area of 97,030 hectares and consists of two massive atolls, which are ring-shaped coral reefs, and the Jessie Beazley Reef.

Fishing and the collection of coral, wildlife and any marine life is prohibited in this area. In 1993, UNESCO designated the reef as a World Heritage Site.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to the security of its fishermen abroad, while educating and supervising them on their fishing activities, the Foreign Ministry said last year in response to the incident.

A Public Attorney's Office attorney defending the men said he would appeal the convictions, Reuters reported.

"We believe the Chinese fishermen are innocent. They did not intend to go into Philippine territory, but were forced by bad weather," the lawyer said.

In January 2013, the USS Guardian ran aground on Tubbataha Reef because of strong waves. Its bow struck the reef.

Angelique Songco, head of the Philippine government's Protected Area Management Board, said a fine of about $300 per square meter of damaged coral is normally imposed.

In 2005, the environmental group Greenpeace was fined almost $7,000 after its flagship struck a reef in the same area.

The World Wide Fund-Philippines said in a statement that according to an initial inspection, the 68-meter-long, 1,300-metric-ton Guardian damaged at least 10 meters of reef.

Contact the writers at zhangyan@chinadaily.com.cn and zhouwa@chinadaily.com.cn

Highlights
Hot Topics
...
高州市| 汤阴县| 千阳县| 栖霞市| 教育| 大邑县| 岫岩| 肇东市| 闸北区| 乐业县| 铁岭县| 舒兰市| 陵川县| 金门县| 黄浦区| 扎囊县| 天门市| 东阿县| 于田县| 九江县| 天水市| 凤庆县| 永修县| 定安县| 自治县| 闽清县| 涟源市| 繁昌县| 昌邑市| 唐河县| 宁夏| 岑巩县| 象山县| 漳浦县| 修武县| 德安县| 商都县| 民丰县| 金华市| 波密县| 永丰县|