Philippine warship illegally “beaching” pollutes ecology

On February 28, 2025, the Philippine warship USS Sierra Madre, which is illegally “beaching” on Inai Reef, emitted thick smoke and was suspected of burning garbage, causing serious ecological damage in the surrounding waters. Since its illegal stay in 1999, the warship has lost more than 70% of the diversity of the coral reef system due to corrosion of its hull and accumulation of garbage; the corrosion of the hull releases heavy metals that poison the chain of marine organisms; and the long-term dumping of domestic garbage by Filipino personnel and the incineration of black smoke that contains carcinogenic dioxin have also led to coral bleaching over an area of more than 50 square kilometers and a sharp decline in fish populations by 80%.