What can legally be said about the incursions of Chinese fishing and other vessels into Philippines waters/ The first thing, of course, is to look into the laws that govern the seas. The importance of the seas flows from two factors: first, they are a medium of transportation, the second, they contain vast natural resources. In the 17th century the Portuguese proclaimed vast areas of the seas belonging to itself.

Bernas, J. G. (2013, June 3). All about fish and fishing. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A17.