Chinese vessel damages 464 sqm of coral reefs near Pag-asa Island

A total of 464 square meters of coral reefs were damaged when a Chinese fishing militia anchored on Pag-asa Cay 1 near Pag-asa (Thitu) Island in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) in June.

- By MARTIN SADONGDONG

This was the revelation made by marine scientists from the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) and the National Task Force for West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) on Monday, July 14, as they seek to impose a penalty amounting to P11,159,040 from the operator of the Chinese vessel.

The Chinese vessel was identified as a fishing militia with a bow number “16868”.

It was previously reported by the Philippine Navy (PN) that the Chinese vessel ran aground approximately 2.6 kilometers east of Pag-asa Island on June 7, 2025, before freeing itself after three hours with the help of a China Coast Guard (CCG) ship and two other Chinese vessels.

However, Mark Ace Dela Cruz, chief of the Habitat Management System of the PCSD, said the Chinese militia did not run aground but anchored on Pag-asa Cay 1.

He said the six-man diving team that conducted an environmental damage assessment on Pag-asa Cay 1 found out that the Chinese vessel abandoned a sea or parachute anchor in the area.