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This photo taken on April 21, 2017 shows an aerial shot of a reef in the disputed Spratly islands on April 21, 2017.  Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana flew to a disputed South China Sea island on April 21, brushing off a challenge by the Chinese military while asserting Manila's territorial claim to the strategic region.Ted Aljibe, AFP

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20170421-spratly-island-aerial-AFP-2.jpg

Jervis Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">MANILA — Cyanide fishing by foreign vessels — allegedly from Vietnam — has meant smaller catches for fishers in Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea, they said.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">According to Larry Hugo, president of the Pagasa Island Fisherfolk Association, they often see Vietnamese vessels using illegal fishing methods at night.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"> </div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">&quot;Halos gabi-gabi nandyan sila sa bahura dito, sa gabi operation ng pag-cyanide nila. Sa pangingisda namin, hirap na mangisda dahil sa illegal activities ng Vietnamese, namamatay na mga corals. Mga isda namin kakaunti na lang dito,&quot; Hugo said.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"> </div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">(They&#x27;re there almost every night, where they use cyanide in fishing. We now have very low catch due to illegal activities of Vietnamese. The corals die.)</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/4/pag-asa-cays-in-degraded-state-over-new-island-building-activities-study-1431">READ: Pag-asa cays in ‘degraded state’ over new island-building activities — study</a></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">In October 2021, ABS-CBN News captured footage of a Vietnamese vessel fishing very near Pag-asa Island.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"> </div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">Hugo says vessels come as close as 1.5 nautical miles from Pag-asa.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"> </div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">&quot;Itataboy nila, maya-maya babalik na naman. ‘Yun lang ginagawa ng mga Pilipino, itataboy lang, di puwedeng hulihin kasi baka maging cause ng magulong sitwasyon,&quot; Hugo said.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"> </div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">(The officials shoo them away, but they keep on coming back. That&#x27;s all we can do because we cannot arrest them as this might cause further tensions.)</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"> </div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">This is on top of their problem with China&#x27;s continuous presence near the island, which has caused their fishing grounds to shrink significantly.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"> </div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">To avoid tension, Filipino fishermen do not fish in the part of the West Philippine Sea where Chinese vessels are.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">Compared to that with China, relations between the Philippines and  Vietnam — also a claimant in the South China Sea — have been smoother, with the navies and coast guards of the two nations holding joint activities and visits.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">A Vietnam Coast Guard vessel is in Manila this week for drills with the PCG.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/8/6/china-s-research-vessel-meandering-in-zigzag-pattern-in-escoda-ph-navy-1327">READ: China’s research vessel meandering in ‘zigzag pattern’ in Escoda — PH Navy</a></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">PCG Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Jay Tarriela said they always protect Filipino fishers against foreign vessels.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"> </div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">&quot;Ating inaaksyunan ang reports kung saan they are harassed. We are asserting our rights in these waters,&quot; Commodore Tarriela said.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"> </div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">(We take action whenever there are reports that Filipino fishermen are harassed.)</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"> </div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">Hugo said the decline in their catch has been steep over the years, with them catching half of what they used to.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"> </div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">The decrease in fish catch is affecting the community as more families come to settle on the island.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"> </div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">Pag-asa Island Coordinator Marilou Valles said more than 300 individuals in 70 families live on the island now.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"> </div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">&quot;Dumadami po kasi pumupunta sila dito, nagta-trabaho sa construction work,&quot; Valles said.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"> </div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">(More people are coming here, working in construction.)</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"> </div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">&quot;Halos lahat naman dito sanay na mangisda, kaya minsan kapag maganda ang panahon, minsan may sobra pa para sa mga consumer,&quot; she added.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"> </div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">(Everyone here knows how to fish, so when the weather is good, sometimes, there&#x27;s a surplus to sell)</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"> </div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">Valles says the provincial government of Palawan has rice subsidies for families on Pag-asa, but access to everyday supplies such as sugar, soap, and other common problems remains a problem due to its distance from the mainland.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jyZ5eXTg1Ko?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>The decrease in fish catch is affecting the community as more families come to settle on the island.</p>

The decrease in fish catch is affecting the community as more families come to settle on the island.

Pag-asa fishers say cyanide fishing by Vietnamese boats has halved their catch

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Pag-asa fishers say cyanide fishing by Vietnamese boats has halved their catch

Jervis Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 06, 2024 01:59 PM PHT

|

Updated Aug 06, 2024 03:09 PM PHT

Read More:

Pag-asa Island

Cyanide fishing

Illegal fishing

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