Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 18) — Fisheries in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) will “collapse” and will heavily impact the country’s food security if the damage to the Rozul Reef (also known as Iroquois Reef) worsens, a maritime law expert warned on Monday.
Maritime Affairs expert Jay Batongbacal said the damage to the reef could be “a huge blow” on food security as the destroyed area contributes 27% to 30% of the country’s capture fisheries.
“The worst case scenario for us, as a country that depends on marine resources in the West Philippine Sea, is that this will lead to the collapse of fisheries in the area,\” he told CNN Philippines’ The Source.
“And then ecologically, the bigger threat there is that if this area collapses, the sustainability of other areas, such as the inter-island waters of the Philippines to which the WPS is ecologically and biologically connected, will also suffer,” he added.
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela said “severe damage” was inflicted upon the marine environment and coral reef in the seabed of Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal.
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PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD CONFIRMS EXTENSIVE MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE IN AREAS FREQUENTED BY CHINESE MARITIME MILITIA
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) fully supports and confirms the report released by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Western Command (WESCOM), exposing… pic.twitter.com/poK8DFjDNC
— Jay Tarriela (@jaytaryela) September 17, 2023
