More fishers going to Bajo De Masinloc, says PCG

Despite the continued presence of Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels, more Filipino fishermen are able to fish in the vicinity waters of Bajo De Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal or Panatag Shoal, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.

According to Jun Veneracion’s report on “24 Oras,” the PCG said some 20 Filipino fishing boats were spotted during its aerial surveillance on Thursday.

The PCG sailed near the boats, while the CCG vessels were farther off.

“This is our way telling ang mga kababayan natin encouraging them na pumunta lang kayo and we'll be there to assist and to protect,” said PCG spokesperson Commodore Armand Balilo.

(This is our way of telling our countrymen and encouraging them that you just go and we'll be there to assist and to protect.)

Earlier in the day, the Coast Guard monitored two CCG vessels inside Philippine territorial waters.

It added that no challenge was made between the PCG and the CCG during the aerial surveillance onboard Cessna 208 Caravan

Meanwhile, Balilo said that they will do everything to safeguard Bajo De Masinloc as well as other contested parts of the West Philippine Sea.

He, however, admitted that PCG’s current resources are limited.

“Pagdating ng panahon kailangan natin ng maraming assets para ma-sustain natin,” Balilo asaid.

(When the time comes, we will need many assets to sustain the WPS.)

'Like a thief in your own backyard'

An Agence France-Presse story reported that Filipinos going to Scarborough Shoal to fish are making less money now because of the Chinese vessels' presence and environmental degradation.

The fishermen interviewed in the story said that their families began fishing at the shoal in the 1980s when bigger boats enabled them to make the 500-kilometer round trip. It was full of fish and offered life-saving shelter during storms.

Now, the fishermen say they mainly rely on "payaos," floating devices that attract yellowfin tuna, anchored away from the shoal and left alone by Chinese boats.

After decades of overfishing by countries surrounding the waters, the men have to spend longer at sea and resort to catching smaller fish.

Even then, they sometimes struggle to break even.

Despite the risks, Filipino fishermen still try to enter the shoal to top up their catch.

Christopher de Vera, 53, said members of his crew have gone inside under the cover of darkness, leaving them feeling like "a thief in your own backyard."

But he said the shallow waters no longer teem with fish after the coral was "decimated" by Chinese giant clam harvesters.

China gained control of the shoal after a standoff between Chinese and Philippine vessels in 2012. Since then, several CCG ships are said to be guarding the shoal at any given time.

The Philippine government sued China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in 2013. The tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines in July 2016 when it junked China's nine-dash claim over the South China Sea.

In the same ruling, the court also ruled that the Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, and Recto (Reed) Bank are within the Philippines' EEZ.

The court also deemed Panatag Shoal as a common fishing ground and outlawed China's aggression toward Filipino fishermen there.

In Ayungin Shoal, the resupply mission for the soldiers stationed at BRP Sierra Madre was successful.

There were no problems in the delivery of food, medicines, and other supplies to the soldiers. PCG attributed this development to the ongoing dialogue between the Philippines and China. — Mel Matthew Doctor/BM, GMA News