Zambales Fishermen: No Fishing Due to Balikatan Drills

The sea near San Antonio, Zambales is usually full of fish right now. But local fishermen have had to stop working because of the “Balikatan” military exercises between the Philippines and the United States.

Frederick Cachuela, a 49-year-old fisherman, was surprised by the sudden ban. He said they only found out about it the day before it started.

“We were finally catching more fish, and then suddenly we can’t go out,” Frederick said in Filipino. “What will we eat in the next few days?”

He and other fishermen feel the ban wasn’t discussed with them properly.

“To make it worse, we expect bad weather after this ban. That means five days with no money,” he added.

Albert Navilla, who also takes tourists out on his boat, had a similar experience. He said they were told they could go out early one morning, but the Philippine Coast Guard stopped them when they got to Camara Island.

“The drills haven’t even started, and we’re already affected. The fish are gone,” Albert said. He also mentioned seeing US submarines in the water even before the exercises began.

The Philippine Coast Guard in Zambales, led by Cmdr. Euphraim Jayson Diciano, said the fishing ban is for safety. It affects several towns, including San Antonio, for three days (April 25-27).

Even though missile drills are only happening in San Antonio, the no-fishing area is bigger to be extra safe. Cmdr. Diciano said the local governments and fishermen’s groups were told about the ban.

The Balikatan exercises started on April 21 and involve about 17,000 soldiers from both countries. They include live-fire drills close to where people usually fish.