Radio Free Asia 9/18/2023
A spokesman blames China’s alleged destructive fishing practices in South China Sea for breakdown of environment.The Philippine Coast Guard on Monday blamed Chinese maritime militia ships for destroying coral reefs in Manila-claimed waters in the South China Sea.
The coast guard’s announcement came after the Philippine military accused the Chinese militia of massive destruction, particularly in the seabed of Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal, features within the country’s internationally recognized exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Divers had carried out “underwater surveys” of the seabed, said Commodore Jay Tarriela, the coast guard spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, Manila’s name for parts of the South China Sea within its jurisdiction.
“The results of these surveys showed that the marine ecosystem in the subject WPS features appeared lifeless, with minimal to no signs of life,” Tarriela said in a statement.
He said there was“visible discoloration” of the seabed that indicated “deliberate activities” meant to modify the natural topography of the terrain.
“The presence of crushed corals strongly suggests a potential act of dumping, possibly involving the same dead corals that were previously processed and cleaned before being returned to the seabed,” Tarriela said.
Both reefs are near the island of Palawan, the Philippines southwestern island fronting the disputed sea.
Monitoring between Aug. 9 and Sept. 11 showed an “average presence” of about 33 Chinese maritime militia ships near the two features, Tarriela said.
The swarming activities of the Chinese militia fleet and their alleged destructive fishing practices “may have directly caused the degradation and destruction of the marine environment in the WPS features,” he said.
The South China Sea is home to about 177,000 square miles of biodiverse coral reefs, environmentalists said. There are an estimated 571 different species of coral and 3,794 different species of fish in its waters.
By comparison, there are roughly 600 known types of coral and 1,500 different species of fish in the Great Barrier Reef off of the East Coast of Australia.
A screengrab from an undated video claims to show coral destruction in the seabeds of Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal
in the South China Sea. Credit: Courtesy Philippine Coast Guard
More:
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/southchinasea/coral-09182023173249.html
