South China Sea: Philippines may file case against China before international tribunal over alleged damaged corals
- The Philippine coastguard has released a video of alleged dead corals found in two areas where Chinese fishing boats had been spotted recently
- Manila says it has a ‘lot of evidence’ against Beijing’s activities that have adversely affected the South China Sea’s ecology
The coastguard this week released a video following underwater inspections of Iroquois Reef and Sabina Shoal, which Manila claims as its territory, revealing “severe damage” to the marine ecosystem.
The force said it also found dead corals that were cleaned and crushed before being dumped into the seabed in those areas where Chinese fishing boats had been spotted in recent months.
It added that experts from the University of the Philippines would be roped in to study the damaged corals to ascertain if reclamation activities were responsible for the environmental degradation.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the government had a “lot of evidence” against China’s activities that adversely affected the ecology of the resource-rich waterway.