MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has declared Panatag (Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough) Shoal off-limits to all fishermen, Filipino or otherwise.
BFAR Director Asis Perez imposed the ban via Fisheries Office Order (FOO) No. 143 on May 15 but released the same only late yesterday afternoon.

The ban took effect yesterday.

Like China, Perez dismissed speculations that the ban was imposed in response to the earlier ban ordered by Beijing as both countries continue to tangle over who owns the shoal.

“The President (Aquino) has already stated that we welcome the gesture of the Chinese fishing vessels to no longer fish in the area. This is our own way of making sure that we adopt appropriate measure to ensure sustainability in our territorial waters,” Perez said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei had earlier said that the fishing moratorium China recently imposed in the South China Sea, which Manila calls the West Philippine Sea, has been an administrative measure adopted by competent Chinese departments for many years and has nothing to do with the current dispute over the shoal.

“The purpose (of the fishing moratorium) is to protect the maritime biological resources in the related waters,” said Hong.

Perez said the ban was necessary to protect fishermen from “habagat,” which could wreak havoc on those who catch first-class fish in the Panatag shallows, which is noted for harboring fish species considered to be medicine by Chinese culinary experts.

Moreover, Perez said the ban was also needed to “conserve marine resources,” an indication that the shoal was being rattled by the huge number of fishing boats, Coast Guard vessels, and Chinese maritime patrols.

BFAR instructed boats not to breach the one-mile limit from the shoals’ margins.

To enforce the ban, Perez said he has ordered BFAR personnel, members of the Quick Reaction Team (QRT) and Coast Guard elements to form an exclusion zone in the area.

They were likewise told to tell fishermen in the area that they must comply with the BFAR order.
Aside from patrolling the triangular zone thrown into the shallows, the Philippine National Police and local government officials were also help implement the ban.

Perez said the ban is the first measure that BFAR is imposing at Panatag Shoal, with officials of the Fisheries Resources Management Division (FRMD) in Regions 1 and 3 told to study whether additional measures are needed.

The ban will last until July 15, 2012 but may be extended if conditions warrant the same.

“The closed season to all municipal and commercial fishing will be temporary, only for the meantime, as the habagat season approach. This will also allow the fish resources to recuperate,” Perez said.

“We want to take advantage of the two-month interim period to conduct studies on what approach we need in order to conserve and manage. We will focus on the physical and biological characteristics of the area,” he said.

Perez said there have been reports of massive degradation of the shoal ecosystem, noting the change in the color of the waters and the deterioration of the corals. (With a report from Roy C. Mabasa)