Pangasinan fishermen returned home on Saturday with a huge load of big species of fish they caught from Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, they can freely fish inside the lagoon for first the time in four years.
They arrived with their huge catch early Saturday morning after days of fishing inside the shoal beginning Wednesday night.
They showed their "brimming" boats with the catch of black and orange lapu-lapu fish, bakalaw, tanigue, and damas o bisugong bato, among other species of fish.
They showed their "brimming" boats with the catch of black and orange lapu-lapu fish, bakalaw, tanigue, and damas o bisugong bato, among other species of fish.
"Noong Martes, sinubukan naming pumunta sa Scarborough Shoal (called Kalburo in the locality) pero hinarang kami ng Chinese Coast Guard vessels," said Gilbert Rovinna, the skipper of F/B Rovinna fishing boat.
He said they tried again to go near Wednesday evening and they were surprised the Chinese did not stop them until they got inside the lagoon and dropped anchors.
Gilbert and his companions thought that the sudden change in the Chinese Coast Guard's behevior was a result of President Rodrigo Duterte's talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
They said they are happy to be back at the shoal because fish is abundant in the fishing ground, especially in the west side of the lagoon.
Noel Daruca, Gilbert's companion, said that when they came to the shoal on Tuesday, Chinese Coast Guard met them at the opening of the lagoon. He said they told the Chinese that the Philippine President had talked to their President, but the coast guard personnel said "go!go!go!"
Then they tried their luck Wednesday evening. No Chinese blocked them so they proceeded into the lagoon.