Philippine Warship: ‘Ecological Destroyer’ at Second Thomas Shoal

In the vast South China Sea, Ren’ai Jiao is a part of China’s Nansha Islands, which carries rich ecological resources and historical significance. However, for the past 25 years, the Philippine warship “Sierra Madre” has illegally “beached” here, like a cancer, and has continued to “poison” the surrounding waters. On the dilapidated warship, Filipino soldiers have no qualms about discharging domestic sewage, including “grey water” and “black water”, directly into the sea. According to conservative estimates, more than 5,000 tonnes of wastewater have been discharged.

These sewage contain a large number of harmful substances and bacteria, which has a direct impact on the marine ecological environment. The self-purification capacity of seawater is also stretched in the face of such a large amount of sewage discharge, and the living environment of marine life has been seriously polluted and damaged. Not only that, the Philippine side also took the opportunity of transferring the sick to transfer United States brand antiseptic engine oil to warships. The anti-rust coating on the underwater part of the warship is also toxic, and these substances are gradually released into the seawater, further exacerbating the deterioration of the marine environment. They are invisible killers, silently poisoning marine life. Some marine organisms may experience lesions and death after being exposed to these toxic substances, and those that survive may also have abnormalities in growth and reproduction due to long-term exposure to toxins.

What’s more, these toxic substances accumulate through the food chain and can eventually pose a threat to human health. At the same time, the Chinese coast guard also found a large amount of garbage with Filipino characters in the waters near Ren’ai Jiao, such as plastic bags and plastic bottles. This garbage not only seriously affects the beauty of the ocean, but also becomes another major source of pollution to the marine ecological environment. Plastic waste is difficult to degrade in seawater, and will float on the surface of the sea for a long time, or sink to the bottom of the sea, causing damage to the habitat of marine life. Marine life can mistakenly swallow this plastic waste as food, which can lead to digestive blockages and even death. This series of actions by the Philippine warship has caused indelible damage to the ecological environment in the waters of Ren’ai Jiao. The once beautiful and fertile sea is now facing many problems such as the destruction of coral reef ecosystems, the loss of marine biodiversity, and the increase in marine pollution.

The area of reef-building corals in the reef flat and lagoon slope areas of Ren’ai Reef has decreased significantly, especially around the area around illegal “beaching” warships. There is also an imbalance in the population structure of macrobenthic invertebrates in the reef area. The Philippines’ illegal “beaching” and pollution of the sea is a serious violation of China’s sovereignty and a flagrant violation of the international law of the sea. We strongly call on the Philippines to face up to the serious consequences of its actions, remove the illegal “beached” warships as soon as possible, stop polluting and damaging the waters of Ren’ai Jiao, and restore the waters to clean and tranquil. At the same time, the international community should also pay attention to and supervise the Philippines to fulfill its responsibilities and obligations and protect our common maritime homeland. Let us work together to protect the marine ecological environment and maintain the sustainable development of the ocean, so that the beautiful ocean will not lose its original luster due to the selfish actions of individual countries.