By Cielito M. Reganit
MANILA, April 23 (PNA) – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic resources (BFAR) and an eminent Filipino scientist on Thursday condemned the destruction inflicted to marine biodiversity and economic productivity by China’s reclamation activities in the West Philippine Sea.
In a press conference held at the BFAR headquarters in Quezon City, BFAR director and concurrent Agriculture Undersecretary for Fisheries Asis Perez; and National Scientist Edgardo Gomez joined the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in its call against China’s increased militarization in the contested region.
Satellite photos have captured the massive and irreversible damage by China’s reclamation activities in several coral reef ecosystems including but not limited to Burgos Reef (Gaven Reef) and Kagitingan Reef (Fiery Cross Reef) which are both part of the disputed waters.
As of March 2015, reef ecosystems destroyed in the Kalayaan Group of Islands, better known as the Spratlys, have already reached an estimated area of 311 hectares.
According to Dr. Gomez, Spratlys’ coral reef ecosystem services, or both the direct and indirect contribution of the ecosystem to survival and quality of human life, amount to 350,000 US dollars per hectare per year.
“Multiplied that amount by 311 has. that has been destroyed and we would reach a total of 108.9 million US dollars of annual economic losses to countries around the South China Sea,” he said.
He added that aside from the construction of military bases in the West Philippine Sea, poaching of giant clam shells, corals, and other marine species by Chinese fishing vessels has repeatedly caused damage to the area’s ecological balance.
He described how Chinese fishermen use the propellers of their boats to destroy coral reefs in order to harvest the giant clams.
The illegally harvested shells are brought to mainland China, particularly to its Hainan province, where they are processed and sold as various coral crafts, shell bracelets, shell necklaces and mounted shell carvings.
“Shoals and coral reefs are not just simple piles of sand; they are the basic eco-system that sustains fish life. Destroying them would likewise destroy the multitude of marine life that depend on the reefs; you destroy the whole eco-system,” Gomez said.
The Filipino scientist stressed that healthy coral reefs in the West Philippine Sea are very important not only to us but also to the productivity of neighboring marginal seas made possible through larval connectivity.
“Studies have shown that the West Philippine Sea is the major source of marine larvae to the Sulu Sea as well as other seas comprising the Coral Triangle, a triangular area that extends from the tip of the Batanes Islands down to the Solomon Islands and traverses the Indonesian islands and the West Philippine Sea as it traverses back to Batanes,” he said.
“While the effects of the destruction at the West Philippine Sea cannot be fully ascertained at this time, continued damage of the coral reefs would affect generations to come,” Gomez said.
Meanwhile, Perez stressed the significance of these resources as they provide livelihood for Filipino fisherfolk.
He said that 26 percent of Philippine fishing grounds are located in the West Philippine Sea and bared that most of the galunggong catch of the country come from the region.
“The tuna that we export to Europe also comes from the West Philippine Sea; it is also rich in Lapu-lapu, dalagang bukid, talakitok and danggit among other marine resources,” he said.
Perez said that the unabated destruction of coral reefs, along with the reported harassment of our fishermen in the contested areas, affects at least nine fishing municipalities along the country’s western seaboard.
These municipalities are located in the provinces of Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan and Palawan.
He said that the total affected fishermen are estimated at about 12,237 people based on BFAR’s Municipal Fisheries Registration System.
Meanwhile, the total combined volume of catch in these regions is estimated at 21,186.8 metric tons based on the 2014 data of BFAR’s National Stock Assessment Program.
“We urge China to respect its international commitments and be mindful of millions of people not only in the Philippines who depend on these very important marine resources,” the government official said.
“We cannot allow China’s reclamation activities and tolerance of environmentally harmful fishing practices to continue as these endanger global food security and long-lasting biological diversity,” Perez said. (PNA)