Pag-Asa’s coral reefs in the Spratlys under threat

Over 60 percent of Pag-Asa’s coral reefs in the Spratlys have been destroyed thru cyanide fishing and blasting. And there’s no stopping it. See full report.

The bigger problem is nobody is addressing it. While claimant countries like China and Vietnam have shown boldness in occupying and asserting sovereignty over these islands, it’s been described as a “wild west” as a fishing ground.

The situation is bad enough that it has been ruled out as a dive destination, owing to the reefs being categorized as “bad to poor” by marine biologists.

Agreements such as the controversial Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking between China, Philippines and Vietnam pertain mainly to utilization of the potential energy sources in this region, while little or no initiative has been pursued for marine conservation.