US plan to use Filipino fishermen as informants raises South China Sea concerns
Filipino fishermen expressed both concern and support for Washington’s proposal to turn them into intelligence assets
Jonathan Fritz, US principal deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, outlined the initiative during a round-table discussion at the US embassy in Manila on Thursday.
“One of the key areas where we will be focusing our foreign assistance is helping the Philippines to better monitor illegal fishing,” Fritz said. “Just be aware of vessels from non-Filipino fishers that are here taking resources of the Filipino people without their permission.”
The strategy would involve collaboration with local governments and fishing communities to establish intelligence-sharing protocols with national authorities, he explained.
The plan was floated against a backdrop of escalating tensions in the South China Sea, where overlapping territorial claims have led to confrontations between rival vessels, fierce competition for marine resources and environmental damage.