Gerry Baldea, skipper of F/B Queen Mae, said they tried going to Scarborough last week but two big boats and two rubber boats of the Chinese Coast Guard shooed them while they were still seven miles away or less than an hour trip to the shoal.
“Hinarang na kami, hinabol. Kung kailan nanalo tayo, mas tumapang sila. Ayaw ko nang bumalik doon, nakakatakot,” the fishing boat captain said, adding “ang dalawang rubber boat nasa magkabilang katig ng bangka namin.”
Baldea said they settled fishing in an area 30 miles southeast of the Scarborough Shoal where they could still see from a distance the big vessels of China.
Asked why they like fishing in the disputed shoal, Baldea said “Maganda isda roon. Mababaw lang at walang alon.”
He said that fishing in other areas is very expensive for it takes two weeks for them to compensate for their expenses compared to only a week in Scarborough Shoal known as Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag Shoal.
“Sa Pangulong Duterte, sana makapangisda kami ng maayos doon. Sa ngayon hindi muna kami babalik doon dahil mainit pa,” Baldea said.
He said that more than 15 fishing boats from Mariveles used to fish in the shoal but no one dare to try this time. “Kung meron man, baka palihim kung gabi lang,” he said.
Other fishing boat crew said most of them are now fishing at the Commodore Reef.
