BFAR to assist Panatag fishermen

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will continue to assist fishermen recently barred by the Chinese from entering Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

BFAR director Asis Perez yesterday said they are laying out fish sanctuaries, locally known as payao, off the coast of Zambales to serve as an alternative fishing ground for local fishermen.

Last month, a Chinese coast guard ship used a water cannon to drive Filipino fishermen out of Panatag Shoal.

“While it is part of the protocol to use water cannons instead of live bullets, it’s unfortunate that this kind of incident happened. Panatag Shoal is ours and Filipino fishermen have the right to be there to fish,” Perez said.

He said that even before the incident, some 100 units of fish aggregating device have been distributed to fishermen in the area under the National Payao Program, which aims to help fishermen in various coastal provinces.

“The distribution of payao to fishermen (in Panatag Shoal) is still ongoing. Right now, we are determining how many more should be deployed,” he said.

A payao is used to maximize the catch of fishermen by making sure that only mature fish and not juvenile fish is caught.

The BFAR has not closed the area to fishing activities but advised fishermen to exercise caution.
Perez said fish supply would not be affected by the latest incident in the disputed waters as catch in the area comprises only a small portion of the aggregate domestic catch.

“That area (Panatag Shoal) is not a major production area so it will not significantly affect domestic fish supply,” he added.

Panatag Shoal is located 124 nautical miles from Zambales and 472 nautical miles from China’s coastal province of Hainan.

China has established a three-layered naval and maritime security around Panatag Shoal to make it difficult for Filipino fishermen to enter and fish in the area. – With Jaime Laude

source:  Philippine Star