Stop Chinese from bullying Pinoy fishers, Rody asked

The mayor of Masinloc, the coastal town in Zambales nearest Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, is appealing to President Duterte for help in stopping Chinese coast guards from bullying and disrupting the livelihood of Filipino fishermen.

Mayor Arsenia Lim was at Malacañang yesterday to personally relay her plea to the President.

“We are asking our President to help our fishermen, so that they can catch fish without being bullied, and to be able to seek shelter when the winds are strong,” Lim said.

She confirmed the fishermen’s complaint that they were being forced by the Chinese to surrender some of their catch. The latest incident happened last month and was captured on video, aired recently by GMA News.

She also belied a statement from Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua that the incident was a form of barter trade. Lim said the fishermen had to give up part of their catch as “toll fee” for access to the shoal.

“We don’t need to ask permission but the position of the Masinloc local government unit is (to protect) their rights to live for now, so that they can fish properly,” she said.

Masinloc is considered the gateway to Panatag Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc. The shoal is well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

Lim said the local officials are coordinating with the Northern Luzon Command and proper agencies to advance the concerns of local fishermen.

Aside from reports that Chinese fishermen were taking giant clams from the vicinity of Panatag Shoal, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is also verifying information the Chinese were also harvesting corals.

PCG Subic station commander Paolo Abejuela said that in a public consultation organized by the local government of Zambales yesterday morning, a fisherman reported that foreign fishermen, suspected to be Chinese nationals, were harvesting corals around the shoal.

“One of the fishermen present during the public consultation said that one of the problems that they encountered before were suspected Chinese fishermen who were taking corals” from Panatag Shoal, said Abejuela.

“But since the incident took place more than a year ago, the fisherman had difficulty recalling the details… That’s one of the experiences of one of the fishermen that needs to be validated,” he added.

He said that taking corals is a violation of the Philippine Fisheries Code.

The corals are also vital in preserving the marine ecosystem since they serve as breeding grounds for different fish species. But some people use them as ornaments.

“We would also coordinate with the other fisherfolk in the province of Zambales and would instruct our sub-station commanders to interact with the fishermen in their respective areas and engage in conversations and see if we could get more information from them,” he said.

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