Philippines accuses Chinese fishermen of dumping cyanide in South China Sea

The Philippines has accused Chinese fishermen of dumping cyanide in waters around the Spratly Islands, a fiercely contested area in the China-sea" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="8346" data-entity-type="location">South China Sea.Manila described the alleged poisoning as an act of "sabotage" on Monday, intended to "kill local fish populations" and deprive Filipino troops stationed at Second Thomas Shoal of a crucial food source.China dismissed the claim as a "farce". The allegation follows years of tense stand-offs and occasional violent confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels in the disputed waters.The China-sea" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="8346" data-entity-type="location">South China Sea is at the centre of a territorial dispute between China, the Philippines and other countries. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakin said the accusation was "completely unbelievable and not even worth refuting". "The Philippines has illegally harassed Chinese fishing vessels engaged in normal fishing activities," he added.The Philippine National Security Council (NSC) said the alleged poisoning began last year around Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly archipelago in the China-sea" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="8346" data-entity-type="location">South China Sea.The reef is home to a small Philippine military outpost aboard the BRP Sierra Madre, a rusting World War Two-era ship deliberately grounded there in 1999 to assert Manila's claim to the territory.