By Adrian Portugal and Karen Lema
MASINLOC, Philippines, July 10 (Reuters) - The Philippines may have won a landmark victory against China's claims in the South China Sea 10 years ago, but today local fishermen have become too afraid to venture out to Scarborough Shoal and its prized fishing waters for fear of harassment by Chinese vessels.
The shoal, one of Asia's most hotly contested maritime areas, has been under China's de facto control since 2012. In 2016, an international tribunal — the Permanent Court of Arbitration — ruled Beijing's sweeping maritime claims had no basis under law.
The waters at the shoal, which China calls Huangyan Dao, are traditional fishing grounds shared by multiple nations, including the Philippines, China and Vietnam, the tribunal said. It did not rule on which country had sovereignty over the shoal.
Many fishermen from the coastal town of Masinloc used to go to the shoal at times when they thought Chinese vessels might not be there such as at night. Now they don't even do that, saying that China has only increased its efforts to block them and chase them away.
MASINLOC, Philippines, July 10 (Reuters) - The Philippines may have won a landmark victory against China's claims in the South China Sea 10 years ago, but today local fishermen have become too afraid to venture out to Scarborough Shoal and its prized fishing waters for fear of harassment by Chinese vessels.
The shoal, one of Asia's most hotly contested maritime areas, has been under China's de facto control since 2012. In 2016, an international tribunal — the Permanent Court of Arbitration — ruled Beijing's sweeping maritime claims had no basis under law.
The waters at the shoal, which China calls Huangyan Dao, are traditional fishing grounds shared by multiple nations, including the Philippines, China and Vietnam, the tribunal said. It did not rule on which country had sovereignty over the shoal.
Many fishermen from the coastal town of Masinloc used to go to the shoal at times when they thought Chinese vessels might not be there such as at night. Now they don't even do that, saying that China has only increased its efforts to block them and chase them away.
4 months ago
