The present situation in the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, may be viewed from the perspective of the use of natural resources within the boundaries of the sea area claimed by a particular country that would bring benefits only to the people of that country; and the perspective of sharing the benefits that would accrue to all of the claimant countries at the present and future times.
The second perspective has the advantage of having less risk for extinction of biodiversity used directly by man, and therefore, tends to be more sustainable.
The evidence for the first perspective is shown by the published (in a newspaper) pictures of Chinese fishing boats loaded with hundreds of giant clams and marine turtles, all of which are under the control of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES).
Some of these boats were apprehended by the Philippine Navy. Other Chinese boats heavily loaded with clams were photographed from a distance. Still other pictures showed Chinese vessels shooting Vietnamese fishing boats with water cannons.
Much earlier, Filipino fishermen were prevented from fishing in the Scarborough Shoal by Chinese vessels. There have been reports of claimant countries talking about the presence of other resources in the South China Sea such as oil and gas.
Chinese collection of giant clams, marine turtles, and probably even corals is to be condemned as violation of international policy for threatened and endangered species.
The Philippines, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, should bring this to the attention of CITES if not done yet, so that proper sanctions can be imposed on China if found warranted.
The Philippines has been enforcing the ban against collections of turtles. This is the reason that two species of marine turtles are now found throughout the country.
The conservation of marine turtles has benefited the country because they are objects of ecotourism, which is now flourishing in the Philippines.
The collection of certain threatened marine species in the South China Sea is bound to seriously affect the survival of some biodiversity species in the Sea.
Marine biologists of the world have now established that propagules of marine species (generally larvae) are dispersed in oceans primarily by ocean currents, although some larvae can actually swim from one island or place to another.
That is why many species of fish and other groups of species are found commonly distributed throughout a body of seawater. The waters of the China Sea certainly carry these propagules to the Philippines, Vietnam, and China and contribute to the sustainability of marine resources.
If Chinese fishermen continue to collect corals, turtles, clams and fish, these species would eventually become rare and then extinct. What is needed is cooperation among the countries surrounding the South China Sea.
It is hoped that Chinese, Filipino and Vietnamese biological scientists, who should know about connectivity of marine species in oceans and islands, can convince their governments to cooperate in setting up marine protected areas in the South China Sea instead of making confrontations against each other.
The confrontations will only damage the biological resources of the China Sea and the West Philippine Sea in the long run.
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Author’s email: [email protected]
