Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 19) — The Philippines is ready to enforce its laws as China lifted its fishing ban, which Beijing has imposed annually since 1999, over some parts of the contested West Philippine Sea last Aug. 15, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

"We urge China to take active measures AT PORT to prevent its fishing fleets from encroaching into our territorial sea and EEZ [exclusive economic zone]. The Philippines is ready to take law enforcement measures on illegal fishing activities in its waters," DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza said Friday.

The DFA added that the Philippines does not recognize China's fishing ban.

Philippine Ambassador to the United Kingdom and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. – who was recently appointed as special envoy to China – welcomed the DFA's move.

"Well, the Philippine is in every respect correct to reject a Chinese fishing ban; it can only respect its own in its waters—even as it demands that China limit its ban to its waters under international law and never by virtue of aspirational goals however noteworthy," Locsin said Saturday.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command earlier reported that over 400 foreign vessels were spotted in the country's EEZ in the West Philippine Sea, and that 85% of them were Chinese.

As a result, the military is looking to deploy naval reservists and even train fisherfolk in a bid to counter China's presence.

"This has been the subject of our diplomatic protests and we will continue to register our formal opposition to it. It is an illegal exercise of state authority in so far as they cover the Philippines’ maritime zones," Daza added.

According to the DFA, the Philippines has already filed 445 diplomatic protests against China since 2020. Thirty-five of these were done this year.

In May last year, the country filed a protest against China’s imposition of a fishing ban in the South China Sea.

READ: PH files diplomatic protest over China’s fishing ban in South China Sea

The most recent protest was filed over China’s firing of a water cannon at Filipino vessels on a resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal last Aug. 5.

This comes amid Chinese incursions in the West Philippine Sea despite an arbitral tribunal's landmark ruling in 2016 which nullified Beijing's sweeping claims over the South China Sea.