Not studied in maritime law but seem to recall the USA has a 200 mile economic zone around its shores and does not allow fishing boats from other countries into that zone without prior approval? And certainly the US Coast Guard will board an intruder and if needed will shoot at and even sink an intruding vessel that attempts to defy boarding and attempts escape.
My understanding is that many countries have this 200 mile economic exclusion zone.
And if so, then the PHillippines is within its rights to patrol its zone and within its rights to board an intruding vessel and even shoot at said vessels who attempt to escape.
One can say that the Coast Guard of the PHillippines couldve just seen these fishermen off and let them go without chasing them for hours and then shooting at them. And then stop protecting its territory when the sight of a much larger gunboat came into view.
Either you are protecting your territorial waters or you are not.
The coast guard vessel knew they could harash an unarmed fishing vessel but could not harash a military vessel in international waters. Waters outside of the 12 nautical miles of a country’s coast is considered international waters. Irrespective of an exclusion zone.
So a conflict could ensue , and hence the phil boat ran.
There is a need for international law to dictate (to member nations) what conduct is considered proper.
Say 12 nautical miles offshore and within, is national waters and all foreign vessels subject to boarding and / or attack.
OUtside of the 12 knots, but within the economic zone agreements should be made between countries whos waters border and other nation’s boats allowed with prior permission.
Actualy personally i think the national border waters should extend to 100 miles . And outside of that it is international waters and there should be no economic or other considerations afforded that nation.
And nations whos waters border are automatically given rights to within half of said waters.
Say for example. TWo nations are only 30 miles apart, then each has 15 miles within that shared zone.
Id like to see no fishing beyond 100 miles of coast worldwide. To allow fish a chance to repopulate.
And coastal fish be given special consideration as that nation deems fit. OUtside of internationally protected species who pass through those waters, such as whale sharks or whales, dofins , etc.
Id like to see a massive curtailment of ocean fishing . Fish farming in the ocean allowed to a certain extent but no more ocean fishing worldwide.
A moratorium of 20 years to allow fish to repopulate worldwide.
And no fishing of whales and other mammals or large sharks, especially those endangered.