Fishermen appealed to the government on Sunday to increase coast guard and naval patrols to protect them from the Chinese Coast Guard, which has stepped up their efforts in recent months to keep them from entering the Scarborough (Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag) Shoal lagoon, where fishes are abundant.
In an interview on radio dzBB, the spokesman of the Bigkis ng Mangingisda Federation in Masinloc, Zambales said Chinese vessels and rubber boats continue to block Filipino fishermen from entering the lagoon.
“Chinese fishing vessels are also outside, but they can fish more freely in our reef. When Filipino fishermen insist on entering, they are being blocked and chased by Chinese Coast Guard rubber boats,” said Henrelito Empoc, the group’s spokesperson, speaking in Filipino.
Empoc appealed to the government to increase the presence of the Philippines’ security forces in the Scarborough Shoal to guard them against Chinese vessels while they are fishing.
The fishermen would be glad if they knew there were personnel from the Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to back them up in case anything happens.
“The only request of our fishermen is that there is someone watching over them from the Philippine authorities, and not from the China Coast Guard, which only continues to harass them,” he said.
The PCG earlier urged Filipino fishermen to keep operating at Scarborough Shoal and other sites in the South China Sea, pledging to step up patrols there despite the huge Chinese presence.
Empoc also said Filipino fishers earn a lot less compared to before.
Arnel Satam, the Subic-based fisherman who tried to enter Scarborough Shoal to fish but was chased and had its path cut by the CCG boats, said he only earned P3,000 from that work trip.
His team was only able to haul one ton of fish, and these were sold in Cavite because fish prices in Subic were low.
“The income was low. It’s not enough for the needs of the family… We just buy food we could afford. It is not enough for electricity and water bills,” the father of seven school-age children said.
He also said it was difficult to fish in some areas of the West Philippine Sea, particularly where damage has been done to the marine environment and the seabed’s coral reefs.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command (AFP-WesCom) earlier reported cases of massive coral harvesting along Rozul (Iroquois) Reef, which is within the Philippine’s exclusive economic zone. Chinese military and militia vessels were seen swarming in the area before.
Meanwhile, an analyst said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s decision to dismantle the floating barrier China installed at the entrance of Scarborough Shoal has sent a strong message that Manila is ready to make a stand to protect its rights over the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
“Our President is showing that the policy of course is not peace at all cost. We would like to have a peaceful, cooperative relationship with China but at the same time we will have to defend what we believe is ours,” De La Salle University Professor Renato Cruz de Castro said in a forum.
De Castro praised Mr. Marcos’ “decisiveness” in issuing the order to cut the barrier despite the risk of an “adverse reaction” from the Chinese side.
The 2016 arbitral award on the South China Sea recognized that the Scarborough Shoal, well within the country’s 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone, is a traditional fishing ground used by Filipinos for many generations.
De Castro said China putting a barrier at the entrance served as a “symbolism” that their action is “not simply directed against the government, it’s directed against ordinary Filipinos— the fishermen in Zambales”.
“In less than 24 hours of course the President made a decisive decision. It’s a very decisive decision because we also have to take into account how China would react, but he made a decision,” he said.
“The buck stops with him and of course, he took the challenge, (President Marcos) ordered to cut the buoy,” he added.
De Castro pointed out that Mr. Marcos’ decision also reflected his pursuit of an independent foreign policy adding it was made without consulting other partners like Japan, Australia, or the United States.
He believes the President’s move also caught Beijing by surprise because “they never expect us to push back.”
On Friday, the Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Vancouver arrived in the Philippines to participate in the military drills between the Philippines and the United States this week.
Commander Meghan Coates, commanding officer of the HMCS Vancouver, said this is the first time for Canada to join the Exercise Samasama.
Starting Oct. 1, the Canadian Embassy said Canada would also post a permanent defense attaché in the Philippines.
“Vancouver’s participation in ‘Samasama’ is to promote regional security cooperation, maintain and strengthen maritime partnerships, and enhance maritime interoperability,” Coates said at a press conference aboard the warship on Saturday.
“We are honored by the opportunity to participate in this complex exercise, highlighting the collaboration between like-minded partners, training, and real-world environments.”
Coates said this participation reflects Canada’s commitment to increasing its engagement with regional partners and keeping the Indo-Pacific stable.
The HMCS Vancouver is the third Royal Canadian Navy ship to visit the Philippines this year after the HMCS Ottawa and Naval Replenishment Unit MV Asterix.
This is also Vancouver’s second deployment to the Philippines after a port visit in 2022.
“Samasama,” scheduled from Oct. 2 to 13, is a bilateral exercise between the United States Navy and the Philippine Navy to boost the latter’s warfare capabilities for maritime security operations.
Apart from Canada, the drills also involve Japan, Australia, France, and the United Kingdom through subject-matter expert exchanges and humanitarian assistance and disaster response tabletop events.
Indonesia and New Zealand will send observers.