BFAR tells Pinoy fishermen to stay away from Panatag shoal ‘for the meantime’

FILE: Fishermen in the Philippines. (Photo by Bernard Spragg. NZ/Flickr, Public Domain)

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on Saturday, March 30, told Filipino fishermen to stay away from the Scarborough (Panatag) shoal “for the meantime.”

“Refrain muna natin na pumunta doon (Refrain from going there), for the meantime, and concentrate on our municipal waters kasi ‘yun nga ang pinangingisdaan natin (because those are our fishing ground),” BFAR National Director Eduardo Gongona told Super Radyo dzBB.

“Just be careful at may mga dapat tayong pang-ilagan (because there is something we need to avoid) for the meantime,” he added.

Gongona’s remarks came after the camp of senatorial candidate Neri Colmenares released a Facebook video where some Filipino fishermen from Masinloc town in Zambales narrated how Chinese Coast Guard have been seizing their catch and driving them away in the area.

“May bangka din po na inano nila ng water cannon, nasira po, lumubog (There was also a boat which was lobbed with water cannons. It was destroyed and it sank),” one fisherman said.

Due to this, the fishermen were stuck fishing at the nearby waters which affected their income.

“Nag-a-agaw-agawan na lang dun sa kakaunting nahuhuli dito sa baybayin (They were scrambling over a small amount of fish that can be catched in the shore),” one fisherman said.

“Napakalaki po ng epekto nun kasi gawa nga po na dati makakapag-ulam kami ng masarap ngayon po hirap na (It has greatly affected [our livelihood] because we used to provide good food for our family, but it is hard now),” another fisherman added.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Northern Luzon commander, Lieutenant General Emmanuel Salamat earlier said the military already coordinated with BFAR and that there were “no reports” of harassment by the Chinese personnel against Filipino fishers.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo had said the Philippine government will protest against China over the alleged harassment of local fishermen but only if it is proven.

“They have to show proof that that’s being done now again. Because if that’s being done then we will protest.

We will now allow our countrymen to be subjected to that kind of harassment,” he said in a press briefing on Monday.

The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA), a fisherfolk group, however, slammed the Palace official’s remarks, saying that the government does not seem to believe what the Filipino fishermen were telling.

“Why can’t the government trust its own fisherfolk and help them get back to their fishing waters peacefully?” It said.

“Our question to Mr. Panelo is, whose side is the Duterte government on? Because we don’t feel any sympathy or concern from our government in the midst of this ongoing aggressive invasion of China that put the livelihood of thousands of Filipino fisherfolk, as well as our local food security, at stake,” it added.