Strong winds and large waves spawned by Typhoon “Bising” (international name: Surigae) have forced several groups of Filipino fishermen to take refuge in Panatag Shoal, about 240 kilometers southwest of Infanta town in Pangasinan province, now occupied by Chinese fishermen. Eric Naboa, president of the Cato Infanta Fishermen’s Association Inc., said the fishermen sailed to the shoal, also known as Scarborough Shoal, despite the presence of an undetermined number of Chinese fishing vessels in the area. About 100 boats left Infanta last week for a fishing voyage in the shoal, which would normally last for several days, but the fishermen were “caught in the middle of bad weather and rough seas [and] were stuck in the area,” Naboa told the Inquirer in a phone interview on Thursday.

Sotelo, Y., & Aglibot, J. R. (2021, April 23). Fishers seek shelter in occupied Panatag Shoal. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A3.