The fishing methods of some foreign fishermen and the island building and construction activities in the West Philippine Sea are causing destruction in the country's marine environment, a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) official said.
In the first in a series of biodiversity conferences—or Blue Talks—organized by the French Embassy in Manila and international think tank Stratbase ADR Institute, (PCG) National Maritime Center Director Vice Admiral Roy Echeverria disclosed that there is now an alarming threat to the Philippine marine environment, which is the environmental collateral damage happening in the West Philippine Sea.
"Unfortunately, some foreign fishermen are making persistent use of destructive fishing methods such as poison, cyanide, and fishing," Echevarria said during the conference—called Blue Talks—on Wednesday, Oct. 16.
Echeverria also said that island buildings and construction in the West Philippine Sea "are taking a toll on the seafloor habitats. They "are destroying the living system of the marine creatures in the area, thus impacting thousands of species in the region," he added.
The PCG official stressed the need to study the amount of damage in the marine environment in the West Philippine Sea and the long term implications for the country, particularly for local fisheries production, as well as explore legal options against other countries involved in the degradation of marine resources.
He made the suggestion after PCG conducted an underwater survey in some parts of the West Philippine Sea and discovered a concerning situation in its marine environment.
"We found that Rozul Reef exhibits an environment void of living organisms. On the other hand, Escoda Shoal presents a noticeable color difference between the top half of its sandbar and its portion that is submerged during low tide," he said.
"Both areas clearly show a deep-dead marine ecosystem with minimal to no presence of life forms. It is not impossible that the other parts of the West Philippine Sea are experiencing the same destruction and degradation," he added.
Developments in the marine environment in the West Philippine Sea were disclosed during Blue Talks, a series of conferences that prove the Philippines and France joint commitment to strengthen cooperation on marine conservation.
The conference was also attended by French Ambassador Marie Fontanel, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary Ernesto Adobo Jr., and other local and foreign experts on biodiversity.
Fontanel said it was important to start the cycle of five conferences with a discussion on biodiversity "because this subject will be at the core center of the next United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) in France."
"Discussions on marine biodiversity and biodiversity conservation is also very important because the Philippines, an archipelagic state made up of more than 7,100 islands, maintains an existential link with the ocean," she said.
The Blue Talk conference is part of the Blue Nations initiative, a holistic program of bilateral cooperation between France and Philippines in the perspective of working together as two maritime nations towards the next UNOC, which will take place in France in June 2025.
"The purpose of this conference is to foster the dialogue between all stakeholders in order to identify successful ways and ideas to help the policymakers and every one of us, better protect and preserve the biodiversity that we all depend on," Fontanel said.
Stratbase ADR Institute President Dindo Manhit noted the importance of working with like-minded states, like France, in protecting the Philippine marine environment for future generations.
For Manhit, the conference "underscored the many benefits of sustainable ocean use and conservation, from ensuring food security to boosting livelihoods, trade, and connectivity. It is essential that we give this industry the attention it deserves given the increasing threats posed by climate change."
Meanwhile, Adobo, who is also supervising the Biodiversity Management Bureau, emphasized the importance of collaborations between the Philippines and France in enhancing political, scientific, and civic engagement in environment protection, climate action, blue economy, and maritime security.
"We need to ensure the sustainability not only of our use of marine biodiversity, but also of our conservation, restoration, and regeneration efforts. We can only do this through cooperation," he said.
"Undoubtedly, the triple planetary crisis, biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution have interlinkages with, among others, the economy, food and water security, peace-making, and human health, and well-being. Our cooperation with the Embassy of France and the Stratbase ADR Institute contributed efforts to mainstream environmental and biodiversity considerations into various sectors," he added.