Fishermen in the Philippines coastal province of Masinloc, Zambales, are bent on resisting the China-imposed unilateral fishing ban in the South China Sea that extends into the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Leonardo Cuaresma, leader of the New Masinloc Fishermen’s Association in this town, which faces the WPS, said they would rather act like “thieves” in their own fishing grounds at the Panatag Shoal, locally known as Bajo de Mansiloc, than bow to China.
“Even though we are scared because most of us were harassed and bullied by the Chinese coast guards in the shoal, we still take those risks just so our families will have food on the table every day,” Cuaresma told the Inquirer.
Cuaresma stressed that China has no right to impose such a ban since it has no proof that it owns the shoal and other contested territories in the WPS.
“If the government tells us to just comply with the ban, it leaves us with no other option but to sneak into our own fishing grounds,” Cuaresma said.