MANILA, Philippines — The United States expressed concern over the latest maritime incident in the disputed West Philippine Sea which involved Chinese fishing vessels carrying endangered marine wildlife.
In a press briefing, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said they have seen reports that Philippine police have seized Chinese and Filipino fishing boats carrying illegally harvested sea turtles near Half Moon Shoal, an area very close to Palawan and locally known as Hasa-Hasa shoal.
“Given the United States works with the international community to combat wildlife trafficking, we are concerned that the vessels appear to be engaged in direct harvest of endangered species of sea turtles,” Psaki said.
The American official, however, refused to weigh in beyond the environmental issue of the recent incident.