Chinese-run fish cages blamed for displaced Pangasinan fisherfolk

SUAL, PANGASINAN, Philippines — As Pangasinan and Zambales fishermen lose their fishing grounds in the West Philippine Sea, marginal fisherfolk in this coastal town face a similar problem with the reported encroachment of Chinese fish cage operators in their traditional fishing grounds.

Local fishermen are demanding the removal of hundreds of fish cages they said have occupied Calpay Shoal in Barangay Cabalitian, where generations of residents have made their living.

They accused workers of the Chinese operators of driving them away from the waters where their families have fished for generations, forcing them to sail to nearby coastal towns instead.

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READ: Carpio pushes new case vs China over fishing rights

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The Cabalitian fishermen said the Chinese operators previously confined their operations to the Sual Mariculture Zone, where thousands of fish cages are located.

But allegedly because of water pollution in the mariculture zone, the operators began transferring their cages to Calpay Shoal in Cabittaogan Bay off Cabalitian Island, said Nicasio Abata, 80, leader of the Small Fisherfolk and Stakeholders of Cabalitian.

In an interview with the Inquirer on Nov. 7, Abata said 99 fish cage structures had been transferred from the mariculture zone before May this year, followed by another 33 cages shortly afterwards.

No permit?

“They have no permission from the barangay or the local government to transfer to Calpay Shoal, making their operations illegal,” Abata said.

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According to the Sual Municipal Agriculture Office, it had not issued any permit or authorization for the placement of fish cages in the shoal.

“The unmitigated operations of these illegal structures have restricted the traditional fishing grounds of marginalized local fishermen, caused severe ecological degradation, and directly threaten the marine biodiversity of the sea,” the Cabalitian fishermen said in a petition submitted to various government agencies.

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But the impact extends beyond the fishing community. At least 10 small resorts on Cabalitian Island are also affected by the fish cage operations, according to the fishermen.

The Sual municipal council recognized what it described as serious violations by the Chinese operators and conducted four separate legislative and fact-finding hearings to address the issue.

The municipal council directed the operators to dismantle the fish cages. Instead of complying, however, they constructed seven more illegal cages in the area, the fishermen said.

On Sept. 21, Municipal Administrator Michael John Millan issued a cease-and-desist order (CDO) against two Chinese companies.

The order stated that a field inspection confirmed the two firms were collectively operating 132 fish cage units outside the legally defined boundaries of the Sual Mariculture Zone.

The CDO prohibited the operators from restocking or starting new aquaculture production cycles at Calpay Shoal. It also directed them to immediately dismantle and remove the 33 cages and relocate the remaining 99 cages to their legally designated locations under their fishery privilege.

“Failure to dismantle the 33 structures will compel this Office to execute forcible demolition, permanent revocation of business permits and fishery privilege, and formal criminal prosecution against corporate officers under the full authority of the law,” the order said.

Despite the directive, the Chinese operators installed seven more cages in Calpay Shoal on Oct. 1 and another 12 on Nov. 6, Abata said.

Maricel Ambrocio, who represented the two companies, later signed a binding undertaking to remove all 33 fish cages from Calpay Shoal on or before Nov. 30, the final deadline set for clearing the area.

A municipal council committee report on Sept. 25 also recommended declaring Calpay Shoal an excluded zone reserved for traditional municipal fishing and vessel passage.

The fishermen said 284 residents signed their first petition against the fish cage structures on June 8.

According to the fishermen, their campaign was not directed against legitimate aquaculture operations within the designated mariculture zone, but against the occupation of traditional fishing grounds and the alleged operation of fish cages without the necessary permits.

They said they simply wanted their fishing grounds restored so they could continue earning a living from waters on which their communities had depended for generations.

Meanwhile, an aquaculture operator who has been operating inside the mariculture park said the number of Chinese nationals running fish cage businesses in the area had increased.

The operator also questioned the entry of a new player identified as “Thailander,” whom the operator claimed was also Chinese.

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“They have been operating in Sual for decades but are not Filipinos of Chinese descent. They were not born here. They came from mainland China and came here only to take advantage of our resources,” the operator said. /cb