The Philippines has released a statement protesting China's four-month long fishing ban in the South China Sea, which includes areas of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) from which Filipino fisherfolk derive their livelihood.

The ban, expected to last until September 16 of this year, "raises tensions" and "directly contravenes the understanding" entered into by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and China's President Xi Jinping to handle disputes with diplomacy, thereby mitigating the strain of current maritime affairs.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) also said in their statment that the ban, as it encompasses waters within the Philippine's Exclusive Economic Zone, infringes on Article 56 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and ultimately, the Philippine's sovereign rights.

The DFA demanded that China desist such "illegal actions;" abide by international law, citing the 2016 Arbitral Award granted by the Hague aside from the 1982 UNCLOS; and hold to their commitments under the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.