LIMA – Filipinos can again fish at Panatag (Scarborough), but President Duterte will soon keep them out of the shoal’s lagoon when he declares it a marine protected area.
Filipinos will still be allowed to fish outside the lagoon in the shoal, which a UN-backed arbitral court has declared as a common fishing ground.
National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. told reporters here that the draft executive order may be submitted during the next Cabinet security cluster meeting.
“We will meet next week and submit the papers,” Esperon said. “What is important now is we are coming up with an instrument in the form of a marine protected area declaration.”
Esperon said Duterte’s plan to declare the 150-square-kilometer-lagoon as a marine sanctuary was mentioned during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping last Saturday on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
Asked how Xi, whose country is also claiming ownership of the shoal, responded to the plan, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar quoted the Chinese leader: “We will mobilize government forces to promote our agreements, step up guidance to create a favorable environment.”
Esperon believes that China would also ban fishing in the protected area.
“If they don’t want fishing activities there and if we also do not want that, it will come out naturally,” he said.
Esperon said Chinese fishermen in the shoal are not harvesting fish inside the lagoon.
“Both Filipino and Chinese fishermen are prohibited (from fishing in the lagoon),” he said. “They (China) have been imposing that. We will also impose that.
“The implication and the effect of this is that there will be more coast guard-to-coast guard relations in areas like Scarborough and, of course, in other areas of the South China Sea, West Philippine Sea.”
Esperon said the interaction of Filipino and Chinese coast guards means that “there is a degree of demilitarization in the area” because coast guard vessels are civilian.
“There is an expression of appreciation from the President of his satisfaction in knowing that our fishermen can fish in Scarborough as is naturally done or traditionally done,” he said.
“While we may at this time set aside the negotiations or the issue on territorial ownership of Scarborough because Scarborough is entitled to 12 nautical miles as per tribunal ruling. We do not set that aside but we consciously think of it.”
Esperon said the Philippines will for now engage in more productive activities like fishing, maritime cooperation and trade. Other areas in the South China Sea may also be declared a protected area, he added.
Meanwhile, Coast Guard commandant Rear Adm. William Melad said Duterte’s plan to turn Panatag Shoal into a marine sanctuary will preserve the corals and a spawning area for fish.
He intends to coordinate with other concerned agencies like the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) before implementing anything, he added.
Melad said a section of the shoal could be declared a marine sanctuary because it is a spawning ground for fish and corals are found in the area.
“We will implement it,” he said.
“But we will wait for more definitive guidance from the concerned agencies. We have to ask the DENR and the BFAR up to what extent of the Panatag Shoal would be part of the marine sanctuary.”
Coast Guard spokesman Commander Armand Balilo said any measure that tends to preserve the marine environment should be welcomed.