Fishermen from the Philippines are raising alarm over China’s newly declared “marine nature reserve” at Scarborough Shoal (also known locally as Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag Shoal). They say the move significantly threatens their livelihoods and access to traditional fishing grounds.
Since Chinese vessels asserted greater control over the shoal in 2012, Filipino fishers have found it increasingly difficult to seek shelter during typhoons or freely access the lagoon. Under China’s new reserve designation, they fear even stricter restrictions—or worse, forced exclusion. The fishermen argue that what is labeled a conservation initiative may, in fact, be a strategic pretext for territorial consolidation.
For generations, Filipino fishers from nearby Zambales and other coastal provinces have turned to the shoal’s productive waters. Now, they say, the “nature-reserve” label risks barring them from key fishing grounds or leaving them vulnerable to patrols, confiscation, or harassment.
Philippine officials have condemned the move, pointing out that under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and a 2016 international tribunal ruling, the shoal lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. The government argues that any changes in status should be subject to its consent—and raises concern that environmental language might mask a broader push for sovereignty: a scenario seen in other parts of the South China Sea.
In the midst of this dispute, fishers say their daily reality is becoming harder. They recount incidents of being turned away or entering waters only to come face-to-face with Chinese coast-guard vessels. Without safe shelter or reliable access to fishing grounds, many worry their incomes will drop, their boats will be sidelined, and entire coastal communities will suffer.