A DEEP SEA FISHING DREAM IN TROUBLED WATERS

I fell in love with deep sea fishing at a very early age. It was something that I lived for as long as I can remember. With many memorable long and short range trips, primarily ranging the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Panama and including Hawaii. The Philippine’s Archipelago of the Spratly Islands were once considered one of the best ocean fishing spots in the world. Fishing this place is my dream.

The 20th century history of the Spratly Islands, which is located in the South China Sea, midway between the Philippines and Vietnam is getting to be quite complicated.

In 1930, France raised their flag on Spratly Island and officially claimed it as belonging to France. In 1933 several other independent islands were also officially claimed. In 1939 Japan occupied the islands provoking protests from the French. The Japanese also laid claim to 1000 square miles of the surrounding sea area. During the occupation of the island by the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Pacific War, the island was known by the Japanese as Nishitori jima.

After World War II, the Republic of China Navy sent a fleet of vessels to the South China Sea to take over the occupation of islands from Japan. In 1946, the Republic of China announced the sovereignty of this island and named it Nanwei Island.

In 1963 the Republic of Vietnam sent three ships and systematically built monuments claiming ownership of a number of islands in the archipelago. On May 19, 1963, they built a monument on Spratly Island, claiming ownership. The ongoing war on the mainland led to the absence of Vietnamese troops on the island until 1974, when South Vietnam set up a permanent garrison there. On April 29, 1975, the Vietnam People’s Army evicted South Vietnam’s troops and occupied the island.

The island was named after the 19th-century British whaling captain, Richard Spratly who sighted Spratly Island in 1843. Present claims of partial ownership include the Philippines, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei. Total ownership is claimed by China and Taiwan. No indigenous people inhabited the Spratly Archipelago, although Palawan Island fishermen (Philippines) have been familiar with the excellent fishing in the area for centuries.

Chinese military plans have caused much ecological damage, along with the commercial overfishing by both Vietnam and China. This is said to have severely depleted the fishery of game fish that sportsmen dream of. Perhaps this dream is often occurring as a result of my living the last 4 years in the land locked country of Lao. This dream has become something I feel I must do. Hope to be able to catch and release on one more long range fishing trip while there are fish to be caught and before I’m dead.