For first time, China used 'nature reserve' in barring access to Scarborough
MANILA, Philippines — Chinese ships have begun issuing radio warnings ordering Philippine vessels to stay out of what they call their “environmental reserve” at Scarborough Shoal — a first in Beijing’s long-documented efforts to restrict Filipino boats' access to the traditional fishing grounds.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said the warning came as it and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) carried out a humanitarian mission on Monday, October 13, to deliver food and fuel to Filipino fishermen near Scarborough and Escoda Shoal.
The operation, part of the government’s Kadiwa para sa Bagong Bayaning Mangingisda program, reached nearly 100 fishing boats despite the presence of more than 40 Chinese vessels, including coast guard, maritime militia, and People’s Liberation Army Navy ships, according to a statement by PCG Spokesperson Jay Tarriela.
'Environmental reserve' in radio challenge
At Scarborough Shoal, known locally as Bajo de Masinloc, CCG vessels told the Philippine ships present that Filipino fishing boats could damage the "environmental reserve," Tarriela said in his statement on Monday evening.
Last month, China announced plans to put up a "national nature reserve" at Scarborough Shoal — which it calls Huangyan Island. It was a move that the Philippine side strongly protested as an "illegitimate and unlawful" action meant to consolidate Beijing's control over the feature it seized in 2012.
Monday's mission marked the first time a China Coast Guard vessel specifically invoked the nature reserve designation in a radio challenge to Philippine vessels in the area, according to the PCG.
"For the first time, the PCG documented a CCG radio challenge claiming that the presence of Philippine fishing boats could damage their so-called "environmental reserve," the PCG spokesperson said.
"In response, the PCG firmly asserted that Bajo de Masinloc is an integral part of the Philippine archipelago, and only the Philippine government holds the authority to designate environmental protection areas in these waters," he added.
PCG vessels BRP Teresa Magbanua and BRP Cape San Agustin, the M/V Mamalakaya, and six fisheries bureau patrol boats were there to deliver provisions to Filipino fishers. They faced 11 CCG vessels and 11 maritime militia vessels that executed "dangerous maneuvers and blocking actions," which delayed the deliveries.
Three Chinese navy ships and a military helicopter were also deployed to the area.
At Escoda Shoal, another 10 CCG vessels and 10 maritime militia vessels shadowed and maneuvered close to Philippine ships, while a PLA Navy helicopter circled overhead. On top of this was the deployment of two warships and one high-speed response boat, all meant to "obstruct the aid effort" of the Philippine vessels, the PCG said.
The Coast Guard said Chinese ships activated water cannons to intimidate Filipino fishermen, though no damage or injuries were reported.
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Despite the harassment, the Philippine convoy completed deliveries of 120,000 liters of fuel oil, more than 600 grocery packs, and crushed ice, while facilitating the sale of 30 tons of fish catch to the government, the PCG said.
"Undeterred, the PCG's BRP Melchora Aquino and BRP Cabra, supported by five BFAR patrol boats, relied on exceptional seamanship to ensure the safe delivery of supplies," the PCG statement read.
Adm. Ronniel Gil Gavan, the Coast Guard commandant, praised PCG personnel for finishing the operation despite the “dangerous maneuvers” by Chinese vessels.
"My top priority is to safeguard [Filipino fishermen's] livelihoods from any interference by the China Coast Guard and to ensure their rights as Filipinos are never suppressed by external bullying," Gavan said.
"We stand firmly with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in defending every square inch of our sovereign territory against any foreign power," he added.
Legal basis
A 2016 arbitral award invalidated China's sweeping territorial claims across the South China Sea. This affirmed Filipino fishermen's rights to enter traditional fishing grounds like Scarborough Shoal, a feature within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.
China rejected the ruling and has maintained near-constant presence at the shoal since seizing it from Philippine forces following a tense standoff in 2012.
Chinese poachers have been documented harvesting giant claims at Scarborough in the past — actions that have reportedly wiped out thousands of acres of coral reef.
A 2025 report from the United States-based Center of Strategic and International Studies claimed China has destroyed up to 4,648 acres of reef in the South China Sea since 2013.
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