Filipino fishers worry over joint drills in WPS

AN alliance of small-scale and subsistence fishermen has voiced concerns over the devastating effects of United States-led joint military exercises in Philippine waters. The Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Mangingisda (Pangisda-Pilipinas) said the sea drills had disrupted their livelihood, inflicted trauma on coastal communities, and caused significant destruction to marine ecosystems. The controversy centers on the joint exercises carried out by the USS Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group and the Philippine Navy ships Antonio Luna and Andres Bonifacio near Palawan earlier this month as part of the Maritime Cooperative Activities (MCA) initiative. Pangisda-Pilipinas National Chairman Pablo Rosales said explosives detonated during the exercises have decimated coral reefs that sustain marine life and underpin the livelihoods of coastal communities. Rosales said fishermen in Palawan and Zambales, many already living on the margins, have been displaced from their traditional fishing grounds. "Areas declared off-limits during these exercises, often under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), deprive us of vital fishing zones for weeks," Rosales said in an interview with The Manila Times. "Without compensation or alternative livelihood programs from either the Philippine government or the US military, many fishermen are driven deeper into poverty, struggling to provide for their families." Rosales also highlighted the psychological toll of the military drills, noting that elderly residents are haunted by the echoes of gunfire and explosions, which revive wartime trauma. Meanwhile, younger generations are becoming desensitized to violence, growing up in an increasingly militarized environment, he said. The presence of US military personnel in the coastal areas has also caused social tensions. Rosales pointed to an uptick in prostitution and the accompanying moral and social strains as byproducts of rest and recreation activities by foreign troops. Beyond the immediate economic and social impacts, fishermen are concerned about the geopolitical implications of hosting US forces in contested waters, such as the West Philippine Sea, Rosales said. "By allowing US military operations in these areas, the Philippines risks becoming a battleground for superpower rivalries," he warned. "Any conflict between global powers will devastate Filipino lives and livelihoods, with coastal communities bearing the brunt of the fallout." Rosales and other local leaders are demanding an immediate halt to military activities in ecologically sensitive areas and insist that both the US and Philippine governments take responsibility for cleaning up debris left behind by live-fire drills. Pangisda-Pilipinas is also pushing for financial aid and sustainable livelihood programs to support displaced fishermen, alongside initiatives to address the mental health toll of military operations. "For many of us, the presence of the US military in Philippine waters is a double-edged sword," Rosales said. "While it is framed as a means to strengthen national defense, the costs to the environment, sovereignty, and the lives of ordinary Filipinos, especially us fishermen, have become increasingly untenable." He said the sea "is not just a battleground for the powerful — it is life itself for us. But every time the US military conducts these drills, they destroy more of what we need to survive."