There was a possibility that the corals harvested from parts of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) were being used by China as materials for decorations, ornaments, and jewelry, maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal said Sunday.
massive coral harvesting along the Rozul Reef“‘Yung habol nila ‘yung mga giant clams sa ilalim ng reef. Pangalawa ‘yung mismong coral, kinukuha din nila at ‘yung mga species doon,” said Batongbacal at a Kapihan forum.
Batongbacal, who is also the director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, explained that harvesting corals might affect not just the environment, but the country’s food security as well. AFP-WesCom Vice Admiral Albert Carlos said the massive coral harvesting was discovered when the military sent out its divers “to do an underwater survey” after the Chinese militia vessels that swarmed the area left.Carlos, however, clarified that it was not conclusive if the Chinese vessels were responsible for harvesting corals from the Rozul Reef.
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