Members of the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), a grassroots fisherfolk movement in the Philippines, held a protest action along the coast on July 12 to mark the 9th anniversary ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) regarding the issues in the West Philippine Sea.
In its 2016 decision, the court nullified China’s claims over almost the entire South China Sea, including large parts of the West Philippine Sea, under its so-called “9-dash line.” The court also upheld the Philippines’ sovereign rights over 200 nautical miles (370 km) from the country’s coastline, which constitutes its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This was established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The ruling also stated that Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal) is a common fishing ground shared by traditional or small-scale Filipino, Vietnamese, and Chinese fishers. This means Filipino fishers cannot be prevented from entering and fishing there. The shoal lies within the Philippine exclusive economic zone.
The decision also criticized China for its unlawful harassment of Philippine vessels operating within the EEZ, describing it as a violation of the country’s sovereign rights. It emphasized China’s land reclamation projects to create artificial islands resulted in environmental destruction in several areas of the West Philippine Sea.
Pamalakaya chairperson Fernando Hicap pointed out that as stated in the decision, “China is both guilty of plundering the marine environment through its large-scale reclamation and poaching activities, and violating the fishing rights of Filipino fishers in our exclusive economic zone.”
Chinese vessels have harassed the Filipino boats using water cannons, military-grade lasers, and and blocked the boats with aggressive maneuvers. They have confiscated the Filipinos’ catch and forced them away from the fishing areas.
Hicap added that nine years after the landmark victory in the PCA, China continues to violate the country’s fishing rights in much of the West Philippine Sea. The fisherfolk leader stated that these actions adversely affected more than 600,000 fishers and fishing industry workers across various provinces nationwide.
China’s aggression has affected the Filipino fishermen’s access to their traditional fishing grounds and reduced their income and food security. But support networks have been organized, with families and village people rallying around the affected fishing crews. The fishing crews have continued to fish in these “grey zones” with courage and determination.
Hicap called on China to comply with the court ruling and to respect the rights of Filipino fishers. Alongside this, Pamalakaya is pushing for diplomatic efforts to advance the demilitarization of the WPS without the interference of foreign powers in the country’s maritime territory.