The joint investigation conducted by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) on the Recto Bank incident showed that the Chinese vessel that collided with a Filipino fishing boat broke two maritime laws, according to media reports.
The probe found that the Chinese vessel and its crew violated the United Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).
The results further showed that the incident is a “very serious marine casualty” because of the damage sustained by the Philippine fishing vessel, F/B Gem-Vir 1, after it was hit by the Chinese vessel.
The results did not state whether the ramming was intentional or not but mentioned that the “unidentified Chinese fishing vessel was found to have failed to take appropriate action to avoid the risk of collision,” said a report from GMA News.
The investigators, on the other hand, found that the Filipino fishing boat crew followed maritime regulations with its anchor lights and strobes on as it was anchored at Recto Bank.
There were also no external factors that could have prevented the Chinese fishing vessel from spotting F/B Gem-Vir 1.
“The visibility was slightly clear and the sea was calm. At the time of the incident, the weather is fair with starry skies on a first quarter moon,” the report read.
However, the Filipino boat and crew had their own faults that they failed to assign a lookout; employed an unlicensed chief engineering officer; overloading; and having an expired commercial fishing vessel license, and an expired certificate of clearance from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
The incident, investigators said, occurred within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.
