MANILA, Philippines — Filipino fishermen in Zambales and other coastal provinces are abandoning their livelihood as dwindling catch and repeated harassment at sea make it increasingly difficult to sustain their families.
In Subic, once-thriving fishing communities now face empty nets and rising debts, forcing many to sell or abandon their boats. Some fathers have taken jobs in construction or transport, while others have left the sea altogether.
“Boats left to rot on the shore, fathers taking odd jobs in construction, families abandoning a tradition that has sustained them for generations,” said Dr. Jose Antonio Goitia, chairman emeritus of several civic organizations. “These are not isolated cases. They are the human cost of China’s aggression and environmental destruction.”
Fishermen report that daily catch is no longer enough to cover the cost of fuel, nets, and food. Some have sold their vessels; others have simply walked away, taking work as laborers or drivers.
The decline has worsened in recent months, after China declared Bajo de Masinloc a “nature reserve” — a move that National Security Adviser Eduardo Año branded “contradictory and misleading.”
“The irony is clear,” Año said, citing evidence that Chinese fishing fleets have for years harvested endangered species and destroyed reefs in the very area they now claim to be protecting. “To call themselves stewards of an ecosystem they have damaged is hypocrisy.”
Goitia echoed the statement, warning that China’s declaration was a smokescreen for militarization. “By invoking the language of conservation, Beijing is masking its true intent — to justify deploying coast guard ships, even warships, in waters that are rightfully within our Exclusive Economic Zone,” he said.
The tensions came to a head on Sept. 16, 2025 when Philippine and Chinese vessels reportedly collided near Bajo de Masinloc. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) denounced what they described as illegal harassment of local boats, including a humanitarian mission carrying food and fuel for fishermen. Nine Chinese vessels were reported to have shadowed and blocked the aid trip.
Goitia said the repeated confrontations were destroying not only marine resources but also Filipino lives. “Even humanitarian missions for our fishermen are not spared from harassment,” he said. “Every collision, every water cannon, is another nail in the coffin of China’s false narrative.”
For the fishing families of Subic and nearby towns, the battle is less about sovereignty than survival. “Every abandoned boat is a story of betrayal,” Goitia added. “This is not just a fishermen’s fight. It is a national fight.”
He urged government and civil society to step in with fuel subsidies, modernized boats, and guaranteed access to traditional fishing grounds. “The sea cannot be guarded by those who destroyed it,” he said. “Only the Filipino fishermen, who have loved, respected, and lived by it, can truly be its stewards.”
