A long-running territorial dispute between China and the Philippines over two rocky features in the South China Sea has impacted the livelihoods of Filipinos who have fished in the area for centuries. The Scarborough Shoal – also known as Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag Shoal and which China refers to as Huangyang Island – is located about 220km (137 miles) west of the Philippines’ largest island of Luzon. China, which claims its sovereignty over the whole of the South China Sea, has been administering the shoal and its claim is disputed by several neighbouring countries as well as the island of Taiwan. Tensions over the shoal have flared in recent years and Beijing has stepped up the presence of its surveillance ships in nearby waters. Filipino fishermen say they have been left unable to support their families.