South China Sea dispute empties Filipino fishermen's nets and wallets

Fishermen in the Philippine province of Zambales are losing income as Chinese vessels limit their access to Scarborough Shoal. Joey Marabe, a fisherman from Masinloc, said the contested waters once provided a comfortable living. "Before, a lot of us who could go out to Scarborough Shoal used to bring home around 15,000 pesos (US$238) a week," he said. "It's a huge drop." The geopolitical contest in the South China Sea is now measured in dwindling catches and shrinking incomes for fishermen like Marabe.