Story highlights Concession seen as victory for new President Duterte

China had blockaded the fertile fishing ground since 2012

(CNN) Philippine ships have been allowed to access the contested Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, with Chinese ships not harassing Filipino fisherman for the first time in years.

Philippines Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told CNN Monday that aerial surveillance had showed that Chinese patrol boats were still guarding the small but strategic reef but had allowed Filipino boats to enter and fish in the nearby waters.

"They are still there, but they are not harassing or preventing our fishermen from fishing," he said.

"This is a welcome development for our fishermen who have been forcibly prevented to fish in their traditional fishing ground," he added.

The apparent concession from Beijing is a victory for President Rodrigo Duterte in a long-running territorial dispute in the South China Sea.