Report: Illegally grounded vessel of Philippines destroys ecosystem

Based on satellite remote sensing and on-site investigations, compared with 2011, the overall coverage of reef-building coral at Ren'ai Reef has decreased by approximately 38.2 percent, with a reduction of about 87.3 percent in coverage within a radius of 400 meters around the illegally grounded Philippine military vessel.

"Global warming has led to a decrease in coral reef coverage worldwide. One main symptom of coral affected by rising temperatures is bleaching, which means they appear white. However, what we observe from the pictures and videos taken near Ren'ai Reef is coral entangled in fishing nets, with some even broken into fragments. These clear signs indicate the impact of human activities," Lyu said.

After excluding other environmental factors such as global warming, scientists attributed the degradation of the coral reefs to the fatal damage caused by the impact of the grounding of the Philippine vessel and its suppression of coral growth. Additionally, the leaching of heavy metals, the discharge of garbage and sewage by Philippine personnel, and abandoned fishing nets have caused long-term harm to coral growth, according to the report.

Xiong mentioned that in the waters near Ren'ai Reef, the expedition team also found multiple Philippine fishing boats anchored and operating, as well as three large-scale abandoned fishing nets from Philippine fishing boats.

On April 22, the team also discovered a 300-meter-long fishing net that covered and entangled coral in the eastern part of Ren'ai Reef, leading to the death and extensive fragmentation of coral.

"We observed at least four octopus fishing boats and several other ships. When we conducted environmental surveys, they would come nearby to disrupt," Xiong said. "We speculate that these fishing nets and unidentified metal objects are intentionally set by Philippine militia to attract fish."

In photos and videos captured by Xiong's team, metal equipment connected by ropes extending nearly 100 meters can be seen on the seabed around the illegally grounded Philippine military vessel, with these ropes having a destructive impact on the coral.

There are also fishing lines, rubber bands, glass bottles, iron discs and other garbage in the surrounding waters, according to the report.

"Some beverage and food packaging has Philippine text on it, indicating their origin in the Philippines, which effectively shows that this pollution comes from Philippine people," Lyu said.

"To protect Ren'ai Reef, safeguard the coral and preserve the South China Sea, the illegally grounded Philippine military vessel must be towed away immediately. Philippine fishing boats must cease operations and leave promptly, clean up the garbage and provide a safe environment for marine life," he added.

yandongjie@chinadaily.com.cn