The large number of Chinese vessels in the South China Sea have dumped human waste and polluted waters into the area, creating swarms of algae that damage corals and threaten marine wildlife, an American expert denounced Monday.
Satellite images show how human waste and sewage have spawned algae in a cluster of coral reefs in the Spratlys region, where hundreds of Chinese fishing vessels anchor, in the last five years, said Liz Derr, director of Simularity Inc., a software company dedicated to the creation of artificial intelligence for the analysis of satellite images.
At least 236 ships were spotted off the Union Banks atoll on June 17, the expert said at a forum in the Philippines on the South China Sea. Both countries claim this territory.
“When the boats don’t move, the feces build up,” Derr explained. “The hundreds of boats anchored at Spratlys are dumping sewage onto the reefs.”
The Chinese government did not immediately react to Derr’s remarks, but in the past they have claimed to have taken measures to protect marine fauna and the environment in the area. Aside from Chinese vessels, some Vietnamese have also occupied corals on the Union Banks.
Eduardo Menez, an official of the Philippine Foreign Ministry, said that the data must be analyzed by his government before protesting to China.
“This is a catastrophe of epic proportions and the damage will soon be irreversible,” Derr said.
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Joeal Calupitan and Aaron Favila contributed to this note.
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