Philippines says China boats dumping cyanide near Ayungin

April 14, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Bottles recovered by the Philippine Navy from Chinese sampans operating near the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal have traces of cyanide, raising alarm over their intentional use by the Chinese to kill fish and destroy the marine environment, the National Security Council said yesterday.

“The National Security Council hereby announces that laboratory testing has confirmed that the yellow bottles recovered by the Philippine Navy from Chinese sampans operating in the immediate vicinity of BRP Sierra Madre (LS 57) at Ayungin Shoal tested positive for the presence of cyanide,” NSC spokesman Gen. Cornelio Valencia said yesterday.

The Philippine Navy recovered the bottles in February and on Oct. 24 last year.

“Laboratory analysis conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)’s Forensic and Scientific Research Service has conclusively established that the yellow bottles seized from the sampans contain cyanide, a highly toxic chemical known to cause severe and irreversible damage to humans and marine ecosystems. These laboratory findings remove any doubt as to the dangerous and unlawful nature of these activities,” he said.

Philippine Navy spokesman Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said Filipino troops seized 10 bottles of cyanide from sampans launched from Chinese fishing ships in February, July and October 2025.

The soldiers had also observed the crew of another Chinese sampan poisoning the waters near the shoal last month.

The deliberate use of cyanide, he said, has raised serious concerns over illegal and destructive practices that threaten Sierra Madre’s crew, the fragile marine environment of the West Philippine Sea, and the livelihood of Filipino fisherfolk.

He added that these actions, if proven intentional, constitute a blatant violation of Philippine environmental laws, international maritime norms, and the obligations of states under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“We wish to underscore that the use of cyanide in Ayungin Shoal is a form of sabotage that seeks to kill local fish populations, depriving Navy personnel of a vital food source,” Valencia stated.

He noted that cyanide can damage the reef which can ultimately compromise Sierra Madre’s structural foundations.

“If the reef is severely damaged, it not only threatens LS 57’s stability, it also allows Beijing to fabricate an environmental crisis which it can then blame on the Philippines,” Valencia said. “It has in the past accused LS 57 of polluting the shoal in an effort to distract from its own illegal activities.”

Ayungin Shoal lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, where the country exercises sovereign rights and jurisdiction.

“The operation of Chinese vessels engaging in activities involving hazardous substances in this area is both irresponsible and unacceptable,” Valencia said.

“Let it be clear: the Philippines will not tolerate any act—whether by state or non-state actors—that endangers its personnel or the marine environment, violates its sovereign rights, or undermines peace and stability in the West Philippine Sea,” Valencia said. — Ghio Ong