The heated dispute in the South China Seas has boiled over into every aspect of life for the nations involved. China is flexing their muscle with fishing fleets venturing further and further away from the official South China Sea boundaries. Aside from their hunger for power, China’s seafood and fish consumption is also a driving force behind the invasion of other nations’ fishing areas. The Indonesian government doesn’t believe that the fishing boundaries overlap at all, alleging China’s nine-dash-line does not touch the contentious area near the Natuna Islands.
Territorial disputes are nothing new to this area of the globe. China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Australia have been attacking each other’s fishing boats in an effort to deter any overstepping boundaries in the waters surrounding the South China Sea.
Most recently, Indonesian fishermen have asked for assistance from their government to help protect their fishing boats from Chinese fleets, their government responded. Indonesian fishermen use a traditional method of fishing without nets and the Chinese fishing tactics are frustrating and starving the Indonesian efforts to feed their people and bolster their economy. Near the Natuna Islands, a regular fishing spot for Indonesian fishermen and within the EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone), Chinese fishing fleets have been asserting themselves in the form of trawls and, more recently, gunfire.
Chinese fishing fleets have acted more military than friendly fisherman lately in an attempt to stake claim to the waters outside of the South China Sea and all of the rich mineral deposits and fishing resources. There are claims that Chinese intent is not just driven by fishing industry, rather it is another way for them to stake their claim on more nautical territory.
The Indonesian navy have met China’s military presence with what has been referred to as self-defense actions in these fishing skirmishes by seizing Chinese fishing boats and opening fire at others. China claims that an Indonesian naval vessel shot at a Chinese fishing boat injuring one fisherman, not your run-of-the-mill fishing boat injuries.
An injury of this nature on a fishing vessel, fueled by political and territorial contention, and caused by military fire blurs the lines of maritime law. Indonesian government claims that they see the fishing territory dispute as a law enforcement issue, not political.
The issues surrounding this area of the world continue to grow and have yet to be settled with an accord between all of the nations involved. If such an accord can be reached, it will surely have a major impact on international waters law for years to come.
And of course, if you find yourself out in foreign waters and get injured while working on a fishing boat, the maritime lawyers of O’Bryan Law are here to help.
