Manila – The Philippines on Monday said China’s reclamation activities in the disputed South China Sea was causing the sea’s coastal states economic losses of over 100 million dollars annually.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said in statement that an estimated 120 hectares of coral reef systems had been destroyed as a result of China’s reclamation in the Spratlys group of islands.
“The department’s spokesman, Charles Jose, said that: “China’s massive reclamation activities are causing irreversible and widespread damage to the biodiversity and ecological balance of the South China Sea.
“The activities are done unilaterally, disregarding the impact on peoples of surrounding nations that depend on maritime resources.
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“The destruction of 300 acres of coral reef systems resulting from the reclamations is estimated to lead to economic losses to coastal states valued at 100 million dollars annually,’’ the statement said.
The department spokesman, Charles Jose, said the estimate was based on studies conducted by the UN Environment Programme on the impact of environmental degradation.
Manila also accused Beijing of tolerating “environmentally harmful fishing practices” by Chinese vessels in Scarborough Shoal, another disputed area in the South China Sea.
“We call on China to stop the reclamation activities and to be mindful of its responsibilities as a claimant state,’’ it said.
China has been monitored to be conducting reclamation and construction in no less than seven reefs in the spratlys.
The Philippines has filed an arbitration case before the UN challenging Beijing’s nine-dash line, which marked its territorial claims over nearly the entire the South China Sea.
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Other countries with overlapping claims to the sea are Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.
China has always instated that the reclamation was to for civilian and defence purposes, describing it as legitimate, sensible and lawful. (dpa/NAN)