If you have read the reports, the shooting was not meant to kill but to disable the vessel from ramming the tiny BFAR patrol boat. Take a close look at that boat, it is small it can't do well if it is rammed. As per the reports, those fishing vessels were apprehended within Philippine territory, the PCG/BFAR are doing law enforcement duties, they tried to elude arrest and when almost caught they attempted to ram our BFAR boat. The captain of that boat took the necessary measure to protect the boat and his crew from the hostile act of the intruder by trying to disable the ramming vessels machinery, too bad so sad in the process somebody died.
Look at Russia, almost the same thing happened to them not too long ago with a couple of Chinese fishing boats against their coast guard near Vladivostok. One of the Chinese vessels sank and the other one was captured and towed back to Vladivostok by the Russian CG. Seeing that we do not usually stand our ground, the Taiwanese are pushing us for some sort of fishing agreement, which is obviously to their benefit.