Filipino fishermen chased by China coast guard in disputed waters

Filipino fishermen chased by China coast guard in disputed waters

Filipino fishermen rely on regular resupply missions by the Philippines’ Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to continue to fish near the shallow waters of Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea.

China, which claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, seized control of Scarborough Shoal from the Philippines in 2012.

Since then, it has deployed coast guard and other vessels to block or restrict access to the fishing ground that has been tapped by generations of Filipinos.

The fishermen complain that China's actions are robbing them of a key source of income and a place to shelter safely during a storm.