Hearing of Chinese 'poachers' delayed over language problems

MANILA, Philippines — A pre-trial hearing for nine Chinese fishermen charged with poaching sea turtles at a disputed South China Sea shoal in a case likely to further strain relations with Beijing has been postponed again because of problems finding a qualified interpreter, court and diplomatic officials said Monday.

The Chinese were arrested in May and authorities seized their boat that was allegedly filled with more than 500 endangered giant turtles at the Hasa-Hasa (Half Moon) Shoal, in the disputed Spratly Islands. The arrests sparked another territorial spat between the Asian neighbors in the increasingly volatile South China Sea.

The fishermen have pleaded not guilty to charges of violating two provisions of the Philippine fisheries code, including illegally harvesting 555 endangered turtles, before a special environmental court in western Palawan province, which lies closest to Half Moon Shoal. Two other Chinese arrested in May were found to be minors and deported.

A total of 555 turtles were found in the seized Chinese fishing boat. In the picture are 93 of the dead turtles. PNP-SBU/PIA

Judge Ambrosio de Luna postponed Monday's pre-trial hearing until an interpreter from Manila arrives, his clerk-of-court Hazel Mae Alaska said. The hearing has been reset several times due to the lack of interpreter and delays in appointing a public attorney to defend the fishermen, who face up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $2,300 each.

Alaska said the court requested the help of three members of Palawan's Chinese community, but they refused or said they were not qualified to interpret. The court sought the help of the Department of Foreign Affairs so that hearing could proceed.

Liza Jane Estalilla, head of the department's Palawan office, said an interpreter willing to stay in Palawan for at least a month had been found but his contract needed to be finalized.

In May, China pressed the Philippines to release the fishermen and their boat, saying they were apprehended in Chinese territorial waters. Beijing warned Manila not to take any more "provocative actions so as to avoid further damage to bilateral relations."

The Philippines says the Chinese were arrested in its exclusive economic zone, a 230-mile (370-kilometer) stretch of sea where the country has the exclusive right to fish and exploit undersea gas and oil deposits under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.

READ: China insists on settlement for poachers

The shoal, called Banyue Reef in China, is claimed by Beijing as part of the Nansha island chain, known internationally as the Spratly Islands. The Spratlys are a major cluster of potentially oil- and gas-rich islands and reefs long disputed by China, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei. China claims virtually the entire South China Sea.