GREAT FISHING IN PANATAG?

BOLINAO— The national media have been running stories and images of fishermen from Pangasinan and Zambales returning from Panatag Shoal with bountiful catch but First District Rep. Jesus Celeste doubts the veracity of these stories.

Celeste told local media that few fishermen go to the Panatag area because of the big waves during these days.

Celeste, a fisherman, said he knows this because he is familiar with the place and had fished there before.

“November, December, there is no fishing because of big waves,” Celeste said adding that people mainly fish in the Scarborough Shoal only from February to July.

“I cannot believe there are fishermen who went to that area at this time,” he added.

Celeste’s turf includes coastal towns like Infanta, Dasol, Bolinao whose fishermen go to Scarborough Shoal to fish.

“Once amihan (season dominated by trade winds) starts, they do not go there anymore. They will just lose because of their fuel expenses but few fish catch,” he added.

Satellite video images showed no sign of fishermen able to fish inside the lagoon, Celeste said, citing media reports.

However, Gilbert Bauya, fisherman from Barangay Cato, Infanta, said he and seven others returned home on Oct. 29 with good news that they were able to fish finally “freely and undisturbed” in Scarborough Shoal.

Charlito Maniago, barangay captain of Cato, Infanta, confirmed that fishermen in his barangay claimed they were able to fish again in the area unmolested. “We would see this time because they are set to leave anew and fish in that area again if, indeed, they are already free again to fish in Scarborough Shoal,” he said.

Travel from Cato, Infanta town to Scarborough Shoal takes about 18 hours.

Maniago had expected President Duterte to talk about fishing in Scarborough Shoal when he came to Sual on Nov. 2 to send off the 17 Vietnamese fishermen who were caught fishing illegally, but that did not happen.

Bauya said his group left Cato on Oct. 24 and moved around the vicinity of Scarborough Shoal to test whether they could already start fishing, they were told by angry Chinese Coast Guard men to leave.

They tried again the following day and saw other fishermen from other villages on board different bancas. He said they were all surprised that the Chinese Coast Guard did not approach them to ward them off.

Bauay said no one from the Chinese Coast Guard approached to drive them away. “We were really rejoicing,” he said.

They fished until Oct. 28 and had to leave only because their stock of ice was no longer sufficient to store their bountiful fish catch. (Tita Roces)

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