China tells Pinoy fishers: Return West Philippine Sea shell catch

China Coast Guard accosts Pinoys in Scarborough

MANILA, Philippines — The China Coast Guard (CCG) harassed Filipino fishermen gathering taktakun shells earlier this month at Scarborough Shoal, ordering them to throw their catch back into the sea and preventing one boat from departing until the fishermen had complied, reports said.

Philippine Coast Guard-West Philippine Sea (PCG-WPS) spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela confirmed late yesterday afternoon that Filipino fishermen were harassed by the CCG on Jan. 12, and were allegedly ordered to return the shells that they had gathered from Scarborough Shoal.

In a statement, Tarriela said they were able to identify the origin of the videos circulating on social media, which reportedly showed CCG personnel harassing Filipino fishermen at Scarborough Shoal, also called Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc.

Tarriela said according to a witness, Filipino fisherman Jack Tabat, at 8:43 a.m. of Jan. 12 while aboard the FB Legendary Jo, he saw five members of the CCG on board a rubber boat with registration number 3104.

The CCG’s rubber boat sounded its siren and went after one of the Filipino fishing vessels and prevented other Filipino fishermen from taking shells – taktakun, a local delicacy similar to snails or susu – that they had gathered from the south side of the shoal.

Four CCG members reportedly jumped from the rubber boat and swam toward the fishing vessel situated near the shoal.

“The fishermen were instructed to return the shells they had gathered to the sea and were subsequently driven away,” Tarriela said.

“He (Tabat) also documented one Chinese Coast Guard personnel grabbing the fishing boat and preventing it from departing unless the fishermen threw back their gathered sea shells into the sea,” the PCG-WPS official added.

Other members of the CCG chased other Filipino fishing boats also in the area.

The FB Legendary Jo approached the area to record the incident on video, but as they got near they believed that a CCG rubber boat was about to chase them so they decided to return to their mother boat.

CCG personnel were also seen taking pictures.

“Currently, the PCG is awaiting the arrival of the fishing vessel this evening, which was subjected to the China Coast Guard’s harassment. We intend to gather testimonies from the fishermen as well,” Tarriela added.