The Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command on Saturday confirmed there have been instances of huge coral harvesting alongside Rozul (Iroquios) Reef within the West Philippine Sea.
At the Saturday News Forum in Quezon AFP-Western Command Commander Vice Admiral Albert Carlos mentioned the navy despatched out its divers after Chinese navy militia vessels left the swarmed space “to do underwater survey.”
“And nakita namin wala na ‘yung mga corals. Nasira na ‘yung mga corals and may debris,” Carlos mentioned.
(We noticed that there have been no extra corals. The corals had been broken and there have been particles.)
“We are coordinating with scientists, experts to do their assessment of the area,” he mentioned.
The space, which is throughout the nation’s unique financial zone, is the place Chinese navy and militia vessels had been seen swarming, in keeping with a tweet by GMA Integrated News’ JP Soriano.
LOOK: Damaged coral reefs discovered by the AFP after a swarm of Chinese fishing vessels left the Rozul Reef within the West Philippine Sea. | ????AFP-WESCOM pic.twitter.com/NfPXJvVGYy
— Ted Cordero (@Ted_Cordero) September 16, 2023
Carlos clarified that it isn’t but conclusivel if the Chinese vessels had been certainly those who harvested corals within the Rozul Reef.
“Suspetsa palang natin, we are not saying they [Chinese vessels] are harvesting our corals. We suspect that somebody is harvesting our corals and that means they are violating our sovereign rights,” the AFP-Wescom commander mentioned.
Nevertheless, he mentioned that the presence of Chinese vessels within the territorial waters of the Philippines “is already alarming because we have the sovereign rights in our Exclusive Economic Zone.”
“It looks like somebody is exercising that right without our permission,” Carlos mentioned.
The AFP-Wescom earlier confirmed that there was a “regarding resurgence” of swarming activity involving over two dozen Chinese fishing vessels in the WPS.
The Wescom also said that “previous swarming incidents in the area have also been followed by reports of massive coral harvesting, further raising concerns about their harmful environmental impact.”
AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar said during the forum that the reported coral harvesting “will probably be affecting the manufacturing of fish.”
“That is a threat to food security later on,” Aguilar said, adding that the military and other security agencies of the government “have to be active because… it is also our responsibility that the environment is protected.”
Carlos said the AFP-Wescom is “increasing our presence there.”
The AFP-Wescom, which is in control of Palawan and the Kalayaan Group of Islands, earlier mentioned further swarming was noticed in Escoda (Sabina) Shoal with 5 Chinese fishing vessels, and in Baragatan (Nares) Bank with two Chinese fishing vessels.
Like Rozul Reef, Escoda Shoal can also be positioned throughout the Philippine EEZ and serves as a marker for the strategy to Ayungin Shoal, which is a part of the Kalayaan Group of Islands.
Beijing claims sovereignty over virtually your entire South China Sea, together with the West Philippine Sea (WPS) because it ignores the July 2016 ruling by the UN Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that invalidates its huge claims.
Amid the swarming exercise, Wescom mentioned Philippine safety officers will “remain vigilant and take necessary measures to safeguard its vital national interests and maintain stability in the region. —KG/ VAL, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
