Groups push ‘immediate’ exit of Chinese boats in reef

THE Agri-fisheries Alliance (AFA), a coalition of various agricultural groups and stakeholders, has joined the call for the “immediate withdrawal” of the hundreds of Chinese maritime militia vessels from the West Philippine Sea.

“Our call is based on the principles of sovereignty, food security and livelihood that are critical for our agriculture and fisheries sectors,” the AFA said in a statement endorsed by the Makati Business Club on Sunday, adding that they support the position of the Department of Defense regarding the issue.

AFA said “it is clear that the unwanted Chinese military presence violates the Philippine jurisdiction over our 370-kilometer Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).”

“This was definitively decided in the 2016 ruling based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos),” it said.

AFA claimed that the Philippines loses P300 billion worth of fish supply—with a volume of 3 million metric tons (Mmt)—due to Chinese illegal fishing in the West Philippine Sea annually.

“For food security, our fish supply is severely threatened by Chinese illegal fishing. This severely depletes our fish supply, which we need for our own food security,” the group said.

“For livelihood, the Chinese threatens us in our own seas by using water cannons, ramming our small boats ...and authorizing the Chinese Coast Guard to fire on our vessels within our eez,” the group added.

Citing the latest sighting of at least 240 Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea, the afa said its member stakeholders “vehemently protest the illegal and threatening presence of the Chinese maritime militia presence in our seas.”

It added: “our cherished principles of sovereignty, food security, and livelihood are violated by their continued illegal stay. We wholeheartedly support Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana’s call for their immediate withdrawal from our eez in the West Philippine Sea,” it added.

Foreign affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. earlier said in a tweet that the “really bad news” about the physical occupation by China of the Philippine waters is the depletion of available marine supply.

“The really bad news is NOT that they’re swarming as a prelude to legal possession—legally impossible; they really are fishing—everything in the water that belongs by law to us: fish, clams, and in such big quantities as to wipe out sustainability,” he said in a tweet last week.

The afa’s five coalitions cover a cross-section of agriculture stakeholders: farmers and fisherfolk (alyansa agrikultura —a a), agribusiness (Philippine Chamber of agriculture and Food, INC.—PCAFI), science and academe (Coalition for agriculture Modernization in the Philippines—camp), rural women (Pambansang Kilusan ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan —PKKK), and multisectors (agrifisheries 2025).

Meanwhile, a joint statement by two other groups—the Pinoy aksyon for Governance and the environment and Homonhon environment Rescuers organization (Hero) warned that the specter of hunger is very real owing to China’s “sea piracy.”

Having hundreds of Chinese fishing vessels in the West Philippine Sea “is no longer just about dispute in territory, it is a gut issue for Filipino fishermen, long considered the poorest of the poor,” the two groups said.

They urged the government, particularly the Bureau of Fisheries and aquatic Resources (BFAR) to do everything to “limit access to the fishery and aquatic resources of the Philippines for the exclusive use and enjoyment of Filipino citizens,” quoting Republic act 8550 or the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998.

“We need drastic action to protect Filipino fisherfolk. We do not understand why the government is dragging its feet on this very vital issue affecting the people,” said Bency ellorin, chairman of the Pinoy aksyon for Governance and the environment (Pinoy aksyon).

“The logic is simple, no fish catch, no income for the Filipino fisherfolk would result in hunger,” ellorin said.

“Low fish supply means higher fish prices,” he added.

Meanwhile, Hero, which exposed the use of earth materials extracted in the country to Chinese Infrastructure projects in the WPS, said the problem with Chinese overfishing is larger than earlier thought.

The estimate of the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea (NTFWPS) of 1 ton per day catch of the huge Chinese fishing vessels is low. When fish is abundant, a mere three-ton fishing boat used by municipal fisherfolk could catch up to 300-400 kilos, said Villardo abueme, president of Hero.

“What we see in photos are huge, hundred-tonner fishing vessels,” he added.

“The enormity of the problem necessitates a whole-of-government approach,” Hero and Pinoy aksyon said in a joint statement.

“It is no brainer, if this problem is not addressed the soonest, the bottom line is hunger,” they added.

Thecountry’sfoodsecuritycouldbeon a rapid dive. The early warnings are here.

“This scorched sea policy of China would further increase our dependency to them. What’s next, increased import volume for fish?” said ellorin, referring to the increased volume of pork importation and lowering of tariff for such importation.

“We call on Congress, the Senate to investigate in aid of legislation and whatever oversight function they possess, the Philippine Coast Guard, the armed Forces and most especially Malacañang,” the groups appealed.

Pinoy aksyon is a think-tank and governance watchdog. Hero is an environmental group based in Guiuan, eastern Samar.