Filipino fishermen will sail back to Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal to assess if the recent meeting between President Marcos and Chinese President Xi Jinping will lead to improvements in the area.
The fishermen have been facing harassment from Chinese coast guard and militia. The Tropical Fish Gatherer Association hopes that talks between the two leaders will result in positive changes at Scarborough Shoal.
Despite the challenges and losses they face, the fisherfolk will continue to fish in the area, asserting that Bajo de Masinloc belongs to the Philippines.
A fishing boat spends at least P150,000 in fuel, ice, food, and salaries for the captain and crew during a seven-day sail. However, they often suffer losses because of the harassment from Chinese boats. Filipino fishermen can earn as much as P500,000 if they are free to fish in Bajo de Masinloc.
They are also calling for the Philippine Coast Guard to provide security during their operations. The fishermen accuse Chinese boats of engaging in illegal activities like dynamite fishing and coral harvesting.
Meanwhile, Canada is set to deploy the Dark Vessel Detection (DVD) system to multiple monitoring facilities in the Philippines starting today which will support the country’s efforts in combating illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing within its waters.
Source: PhilNews24 | November 20, 2023
