Zambales fishers decry mounting losses

ANOTHER BAN A fisherman inspects his catch using a “tabukol” (cast net) along the shoreline of Barangay San Miguel in San Antonio, Zambales. Coastal communities are bracing for another three-day fishing ban as the Philippines-US Bilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity starts on May 28. —JOANNA ROSE AGLIBOT

IBA, ZAMBALES—Groups of fishermen in Zambales province are sounding the alarm over the compounding financial toll on coastal communities of frequent maritime closures to give way to war games, complaining that irregular government food aid is not enough to sustain their families.

For the second time, thousands of fishers will be forced to anchor their boats as large sections of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) are shut down for joint military exercises under the Bilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (BMCA) between the Philippines and the United States from May 28 to May 30.

Leonardo Cuaresma, president of the New Masinloc Fishermen Association and vice president of Zambales Provincial Fisherfolk Organization, stressed that they were not objecting to the activities that would strengthen the country’s military capabilities.

However, they call on the government to provide immediate and concrete financial assistance to the fishers who will be temporarily displaced throughout the length of the war games.

“When there is a fishing ban, we don’t know where else to turn to because we have no other source of income,” Cuaresma told the Inquirer in a phone interview on Thursday.

He pointed out that the impact of live-fire drills and heavy naval movement outlasts the official three-day restriction period.

“Because these are war games, the fish are distracted and scared away, and the corals are damaged. The effects linger far beyond those three days,” Cuaresma said.

Long-term impact

He urged the government to look toward sustainable, long-term economic safety nets so that fishers do not feel like they are “constantly begging” whenever military exercises are held in the coastal province.

The upcoming closure marks the latest in a series of continuous maritime restrictions that have left Zambales fishers with fewer days out at sea during their peak season.

As May 28 approaches, the Philippine Coast Guard Zambales station continues to advise vessel operators across Olongapo City and the 11 affected towns of Sta. Cruz, Palauig, Candelaria, Masinloc, Iba, San Antonio, Botolan, Cabangan, San Felipe, San Narciso and Subic to strictly comply with the temporary restrictions due to safety risks.

This latest disruption follows a Feb. 9 weather disturbance advisory, back-to-back military exercises in late February and April, and a May 11 rocket launch precaution near Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal that severely affected local livelihoods.

Fernando Hicap, national chair of the fisherfolk federation Pamalakaya, slammed both local and national authorities for allowing back-to-back closures during the peak fishing season.

“Our fishers can’t miss any chance to go offshore, especially at this time,” Hicap told the Inquirer in a separate phone interview. “No amount of promised compensation can equate to the immediate impact of a day without fishing for the fishers and their dependent families.”