Defiant Filipino fishermen avert South China Sea detention threat ‘by God’s grace’

Chinese patrols have ‘gotten stricter’ since Beijing passed its anti-trespassing law, the fishermen say

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Filipino fishermen march towards the Chinese consulate during an anti-China protest in Manila on June 11. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:00am, 1 Jul 2024Updated: 10:15am, 1 Jul 2024

Filipino fishermen continue to find themselves at the sharp end of the long-running South China Sea row between Manila and Beijing, with tensions showing no signs of abating and the Chinese coastguard stepping up patrols close to Philippine waters.

Last Tuesday, the fishermen of Masinloc town in Zambales province spotted Chinese vessels some 30 nautical miles (56km) off the coast.

Members of the local fishing community say they have witnessed a noticeable increase in Chinese patrols since June 15, when Beijing enacted a regulation empowering its coastguard to detain foreigners for trespassing into what it considers its maritime territory in the South China Sea.

“We continue to fish. This is not a new occurrence. The Chinese coastguard and militia have been doing this for a long time,” Leonardo Cuaresma, president of the New Masinloc Fisherman’s Association, told This Week in Asia.

“By God’s grace, they haven’t detained any fishermen even if their patrols have gotten stricter,” Cuaresma said.

Still, Filipino fishermen continue to exercise caution when venturing out into the waters surrounding Scarborough Shoal, long a traditional fishing ground located some 124km west of Masinloc. It and the similarly disputed Second Thomas Shoal have long been flashpoints in the ongoing territorial dispute between the Philippines and China.