Zambales fishers’ group says China Coast Guard more aggressive in past months

The Bigkis ng Mangingisda Federation in Masinloc, Zambales disclosed on Sunday that the China Coast Guard (CCG) has become more aggressive in the past few months toward Filipino fishermen trying to make a living in the Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag Shoal) in the West Philippine Sea.

Henrelito Empoc, the group’s spokesperson, said that Chinese vessels continue to prohibit Filipino fishermen from entering the shoal’s lagoon where fishes were abundant. The CCG’s rubber boats were also patrolling around the area and were intercepting Filipino fishers’ activities, he added.

“Nandito rin ang mga Chinese fishing vessels sa labas pero mas maluwag silang nakakapangisda sa ating bahura. Ang ating mga Pilipinong mangingisda, kapag nagpumilit sa loob na pumasok, ay kanilang hinaharang at hinahabol ng rubber boats ng China Coast Guard,” he said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

(Chinese fishing vessels are also outside, but they can fish more freely in our reef. When our Filipino fishermen insist on entering, they are being blocked and chased by Chinese Coast Guard rubber boats.)

“Mapapatunayan namin sa ating pamahalaan na itong mga China Coast Guard ay mas matindi ang kanilang pangha-harass na ginawa nu'ng mga nakalipas na buwan. Lahat ng mga Pilipinong mangingisda, maliliit na bangka natin ay hinaharang talaga ng mga rubber boat nila at itinataboy at hinahabol kapag nagpumilit na pumasok sa ating loob na lagoon,” he added

(We can prove to our government that these CCG have become more intense in their harassment in recent months. All Filipino fishermen and their small boats are being blocked by CCG’s rubber boats and are being driven away and chased when they insist on entering the lagoon.)

GMA News Online contacted the Chinese Embassy for comment on Sunday morning but it has yet to receive a reply as of posting time.

Security

With this, Empoc appealed to the government to increase the presence of Philippines’ security forces in the Scarborough Shoal to guard them against Chinese vessels while they are fishing.

He said Filipino fishermen would be glad if they knew there are 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.

“'Yun lang ang tanging hiling ng ating mga mangingisda, na ganu'n sana, meron pong nagbabantay sa ating mga Pilipinong mangingisda mula sa mga kinauukulan, at hindi ang China Coast Guard ang nandu'n at nangha-harass sa mga Pilipino,” he said.

(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.)

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 an imposing Chinese presence.

Lesser income

Empoc also bared that Filipino fishermen now earn a lot less as compared to before amid the continued presence of Chinese vessels in the fishing grounds in the West Philippine Sea.

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, also shared the same sentiments.

Interviewed by GMA Integrated News’ Raffy Tima, Satam, who was already back on dry land after two weeks, said he only earned P3,000 from that work trip.

His pay for 2 weeks of work for that trip, ?3K, roughly equivalent to around 17 cups of coffee at popular coffee shops.
Despite the measly pay, back breaking work, and the constant harassment by the Chinese Coast Guard, he says he will continue to fish in the Scarborough Shoal. pic.twitter.com/jGe4dLo4Or

— Raffy Tima (@raffytima) September 30, 2023

His team was only able to haul one ton of fish, and these were sold in Cavite.

“Matumal po. Kaya dinala namin doon kasi mura ang isda sa Subic, kaya dinala namin sa Cavite,” he said.

(The work was slow. We brought the fishes to Cavite because fishes are cheap in Subic.)

“Maliit po [ang kita], hindi pa abot sa mga kuwan sa pamilya… Kung ano lang ang murang mabibili, ‘yun lang. Pagkain. Wala pa sa bayad sa kuryente at tubig,” he added.

(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 yet.)

Satam said seven of his children are still going to school.

He thus stressed the difficulty of fishing, especially now that some areas in the West Philippine Sea, particularly the Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal, were found to have "severe damage" to their marine environment and their seabed’s coral reefs.

“Napakahirap maghanap ng isda, lalo na’t nabulabog na ang loob. Mahirap. Mahirap maghanap ng isda. Pero wala naman tayong pupuntahan. Ganu'n pa rin, isa pa ring lugar ang pupuntahan natin—Scarborough pa rin,” he said.

(It's very difficult to find fish, especially when their habitat was disrupted. It's hard to fish. But we're still not going anywhere. We're still going to one place—the Scarborough Shoal.)

The Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command (AFP-WesCom) previously reported cases of massive coral harvesting along Rozul (Iroquios) Reef which is within the Philippine’s exclusive economic zone.

Chinese military and militia vessels were seen swarming in the area before. —KG, GMA Integrated News