BFAR Vessels Face Harassment from Chinese Coast Guard and PLAN Helicopter During Scientific Survey The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), supported by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), has reported an alarming incident involving harassment faced by its patrol vessels, BRP Datu Pagbuaya and BRP Datu Bankaw, while en route to Sandy Cays for a marine scientific survey and sand sampling on January 24, 2025. During the mission, the BFAR vessels encountered aggressive maneuvers from three Chinese Coast Guard vessels 4106, 5103 and 4202, which exhibited blatant disregard for the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREGs). Fortunately, the skilled seamanship of the BFAR crew prevented any potential accidents during these dangerous confrontations. In addition to the actions of the Coast Guard vessels, four small boats were deployed by the Chinese Coast Guard to harass the two BFAR rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) that were transporting personnel to the Sandy Cays. Compounding the situation, a People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN) helicopter, identified by tail number 24, hovered at an unsafe altitude above the BFAR RHIBs, creating hazardous conditions due to the propeller wash. As a result of this continuous harassment and the disregard for safety exhibited by the Chinese maritime forces, BFAR and PCG have regrettably suspended their survey operations and were unable to collect sand samples at Sandy Cays. Both BFAR and PCG remain committed to their mandates and will take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of their personnel and vessels in the pursuit of scientific research and resource management.