The Malaysian coast guard shot dead a Vietnamese fisherman whose boat tried to ram a patrol vessel in the South China Sea, an official said Monday.

The incident took place inside Malaysian waters, where local fisherman have complained in the past about Vietnamese fishing boats that damage their nets.

Coast guard chief Mohamad Zubil Mat Som told AFP that two Vietnamese fishing boats had entered Malaysian waters some 80 nautical miles from Tok Bali, off the northeastern state of Kelantan late Sunday.

"The coastguard crew had earlier fired warning shots in the air but after they rammed and threw a bottle of petrol, my men had no choice but to open fire in self defence," he said.

Zubil alleged the Vietnamese crew had thrown petrol and a tyre to try and set fire to the coast guard boat, which was damaged by the "aggressive ramming".

One Vietnamese fisherman suffered gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead after he was brought to shore.

"We are saddened by this deadly incident. But I can guarantee... my men took this action to protect their lives and to protect our national sovereignty," Zubil added.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency in a statement issued later Monday said there were 20 fishermen in the two boats, including the fatality.

The rest were also brought to shore and are under investigation for attempted murder and other offences including illegal fishing and illegal entry.

Parts of the South China Sea are subject to rival claims by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam, while Beijing claims the entire waterway.

The rival claims to the sea, which straddles vital shipping lanes and covers rich fishing grounds, makes it a potential flashpoint for conflict.

China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations -- which includes four claimants -- are currently in talks for a code of conduct in the area.

In February, Kuala Lumpur sought to secure a deal with Hanoi to end alleged intrusions into Malaysian waters by Vietnamese vessels.

Related Links
Water News - Science, Technology and Politics

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Mixed bag projected for Atlantic fish stocks as temperatures rise
Washington DC (UPI) Aug 10, 2020
Warming ocean temperatures will prove a boon to some commercial fish stocks in the Atlantic, while depressing others, according to a new study published this week in the Journal of Applied Ecology. Using what scientists have learned about the effects of warming seas on fish stocks over the last several decades, researchers in Britain developed computer models to project the size and availability of important Atlantic fish species as ocean temperatures rise. The models simulated the abund ... read more