China intrusion’s impact on WPS ecosystem is irreversible

West Philippines Sea (WPS) is one of the richest marine biodiversity in the world but competing territorial claims and neglect are increasingly threatening its ecosystem. This was the warning by Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) of Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in a report released late last year and presented at a briefing by the UP Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea last Feb. 21.

According to the report “Deep Blue Scars: Environmental Threats to the WPS, are ongoing activities of CCG and the China maritime militia” the increased fishing, dredging, cyanide fishing, land fill and giant clam harvesting by Chinese fisherman have taken a “devastating toll,” especially on the biodiversity’s main foundation the coral reefs.

The report stressed that coral reefs, which are often described as “rainforests of the sea,” are “considered one of the most vital ecosystems in the WPS, providing food and shelter to thousands of species in their surrounding environment.”