Philippine Reefs Are Suffering From China’s Activities in the Region

While climate change is definitely to blame for the suffering of our underwater ecosystem, it may only play second fiddle to human impact, said marine biologist Dr. Wilfredo Y. Licuanan.

This rings particularly true when it comes to the Philippines. At a forum organized by Oceana Philippines on July 3, marine scientists reveal that the country is losing as much as $650,000 annually from damaged reef ecosystems because of illegal fishing and China’s reclamation activities in the area.

The damage is estimated to cover a combined 1,850 hectares in the Scarborough Shoal and Spratlys Islands, according to satellite images. It comes with a hefty economic cost.

Deo Florence Onda, a scientist with the University of the Philippines’ Marine Science Institute said that the staggering amount was determined using studies provided by a Dutch analytics company that has set the baseline value at $353,429 per hectare per year. It’s a supposedly conservative estimate considering that number only includes areas seen by satellites.

Talks of the Philippines’ marine loss to China has taken on a particular relevance after President Rodrigo Duterte said that the Philippines cannot assert sovereignty over its own Exclusive Economic Zone. This was sparked by the controversy that followed a Chinese vessel ramming a Filipino fishing ship in the West Philippine Sea.

Many are using the President’s comments as proof of his failure to secure Philippine territory and therefore as grounds for impeachment.

The economic and environmental cost cannot be overstated. Last April, Chinese fishermen were caught poaching giant clams in the West Philippine Sea. This follows a long line of reports of their vessels’ presence in the area, sometimes even harassing Filipino fishermen.

The conflict over the West Philippine Sea has become increasingly fraught over the years. China began building on the contested Spratly Islands as early as 2015 and has continued to take over reefs despite the Philippines winning a landmark arbitration case over its territorial claims.