‘Kalburo’

Generations and generations of fishermen call it Kalburo, a name they coined and it’s as old as time. It is a testament, in its simplest form, that Scarborough Shoal, as this triangle-shaped chain of reefs is known, has always been part of the Filipino fisherman’s daily life because as far as our fisherfolk know Scarborough – Kalburo – is ours; it has always been ours.

Ancient maps say so and so does a United Nations-backed court at The Hague.

Which is why I salute the brave men of our Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) for removing the floating barrier placed by China’s coast guard, meant to prevent Filipino fishing boats from entering the disputed shoal.

It was a scene that seemed straight out of a spy movie – our PCG team embarking on a dangerous mission to remove the barrier; there it was, as shown in a video released by the Coast Guard – a Filipino diver plunging into the water with a knife to cut the rope that held the floating cordon.

I salute this valiant move; credit also goes to President Marcos for issuing the order.

The installation of the 300-meter-long barrier at the entrance to the lagoon violates international law and the Southeast Asian nation’s sovereignty.

The coast guard’s move shows increasing Philippine efforts to fight China’s aggressive actions; it is a welcome development, and it is in stark contrast to the stance of the previous administration.

“The decisive action of the Philippine Coast Guard to remove the barrier aligns with international law and the Philippines’ sovereignty over the shoal,” the PCG said.

The PCG, it added, remains committed to upholding international law, safeguarding the welfare of Filipino fisherfolk and protecting the rights of the Philippines in its territorial waters.

China of course is unhappy with the move. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin gave this statement:

“That’s what the Philippines tells itself. China’s resolve in safeguarding its sovereignty and maritime rights and interests over Huangyan Dao is unwavering. We call on the Philippines not to make provocations or stir up trouble.”

International Law

According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, ratified in 1982 with no less than China as among the first signatories, defines an exclusive economic zone as generally extending 200 nautical miles from shore, within which the coastal state has the exclusive right to explore.

Scarborough Shoal is found within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone, 119 nautical miles away from Infanta. In contrast, the shoal is more than 500 nautical miles from China’s Hainan Island.

Al Jazeera, in a report, said: According to historical records, the term Scarborough Shoal was first used by the British after its merchant vessel, the Scarborough, was briefly shipwrecked in the area on Sept. 12, 1748, while on its way to China.

Claiming historic rights as one of the first people to explore the area, China claimed the sea feature as part of its territory in recent decades and started to refer to it as Huangyan (Yellow Rock) Island.

Tensions are heating up again now but let’s not be mistaken. China’s encroachment has been a problem for local fishermen for a long time now.

A fisherman’s story

Two years ago, I visited Infanta, Pangasinan to talk to local fishermen to really understand their plight.

I met Captain Joy, a boat captain and second-generation fisherman who is now in his mid-50s. He talked about Scarborough with such poignant remembering.

First, he shared memories about the first time he saw Kalburo. It was with wide-eyed awe as he looked at the corals in the waters of the shoal – alive, mesmerizing and swarming with fishes and marine life; green, yellow, blue, a spectacle of colors, too.

He was 14 then and it was his father, also a fisherman, who brought him there.

Now, 40 years later, Scarborough is not what it used to be, Capt. Joy lamented.

Chinese fishermen and poachers have destroyed Scarborough to harvest giant clams.

“Ang ganda ng corals noon at maraming isda talaga (In the past, the corals were really beautiful and there were lots of fish),” Capt. Joy said.

He talked about the good old days of Scarborough with a faraway gaze; you sense a tone of frustration in his voice, with words spoken almost like a whisper and life sapped in each sentence of this sad tale.

I met Capt. Joy and his brother in Infanta. They grew up in the fishing village of Barangay Bayambang.

I met other fishermen, too. They all earn a living through fishing to feed their families. Their sun-baked skin and calloused hands are testament to decades of life at sea.

Many things have changed for them through the times as China started to lay its claims on the disputed seas, including the waters of Scarborough, formally called Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc.

In Scarborough alone, Chinese fishermen started blocking the inner lagoon sometime in 2012, disrupting the once peaceful area where Filipino, Taiwanese, Indonesian and Chinese fishermen used to fish freely.

Capt. Joy particularly lamented the destruction of coral reefs in Scarborough because coral reefs are important. They protect marine life and coastal areas by reducing the power of waves hitting the coast.

Former Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio had urged then president Duterte to sue China for destroying the coral reefs in Scarborough but the Duterte administration preferred the “peaceful diplomacy” route.

Now, this is what has happened; and the Philippines, our marine life and Filipinos, especially fishermen like Capt. Joy, continue to deal with the consequences.

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Email: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on Facebook.