A Philippine court on Monday has found nine Chinese fishermen guilty of poaching after they were seized by Philippine authorities in waters near Half Moon Shoal in May.

Palawan Judge Ambrosio de Luna fined each of the fishermen $100,000 for poaching and 120,000 pesos ($2,730) for catching endangered sea turtles. They face six months in jail if they fail to pay up.

The court said the Chinese fishermen were convicted for taking rare, threatened or endangered species. Philippine authorities previously claimed that around 500 sea turtles had been found on the Chinese vessel, and that many were dead.

Zhuang Guotu, the dean of the School of Southeast Asian Studies at Xiamen University in Fujian Province, told the Global Times that the verdict was "retaliatory."

"They hoped to use the verdict to demonstrate their so-called 'sovereign claims' in the South China Sea, which is unacceptable to the Chinese government. Chinese authorities will not recognize the trial and the verdict could damage Sino-Philippine relations," Zhuang said.

Zhuang added that the verdict could also raise tensions over territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Philippine foreign affairs spokesman Charles Jose said the court's decision should not further complicate ties with China, AFP reported on Monday. "This is a purely law enforcement matter," Jose told AFP.

Philippine police arrested 11 fishermen aboard the Qiongqionghai 09063 near the Half Moon Shoal in the South China Sea on May 6.

Two minors were released by Philippines authorities. The two have said that the sea turtles they were accused of "poaching" were actually traded from a Vietnamese fishing boat.

The nine fishermen pleaded not guilty when they stood on trial in May.

The Half Moon Shoal is a traditional Chinese fishing ground. Following the incident, the Chinese foreign ministry reiterated that China has indisputable sovereign rights over the sea area, including the Half Moon Shoal of Nansha Islands.

It also demanded an explanation from the Philippines and the immediate release of the fishermen and the boat.

However, the Philippines ignored China's demand, claiming they were found poaching in Philippine waters.