(Bulatlat) MANILA – A Filipino fisherfolk group decried the “no-sail zone” policy in at least five towns in the province of Zambales in the 18-day run of joint military exercises between the US and Philippine troops.
“Placing their fishing grounds under no-sail zone just in time of the peak fishing season is highly unacceptable and detestable. Fishers in the province consider the months between February to May as peak fishing season,” Pamalakaya vice chairperson Bobby Roldan said in a statement.
The ‘no-sail zone’ covers the coastal towns of San Antonio, San Narciso, San Felipe, Cabangan, and Botolan in Zambales.
Balikatan (Filipino word for shoulder-to-shoulder) is an 18-day joint military operation between US and Philippine troops, which will run until April 28. This is one of the biggest joint military drills which experts believe will intensify the tension in the disputed waters of the West Philippine Sea.
Pamalakaya said that this is similar to the fishing ban imposed in the Bicol region in 2009 when the US military conducted their drills. The preparations for the 2009 Balikatan exercises in Bicol also caused the death of a one-year-old when a grenade hit one of the houses where a family has just finished having lunch… Read More
