Report: Illegally grounded vessel of Philippines destroys ecosystem

Paint, heavy metal and abandoned fishing equipment lead to coral death

A Chinese scientific expedition team discovered that the illegally grounded Philippine military vessel near China's Ren'ai Reef in the South China Sea has rusted, with peeling paint and the leaching of heavy metals severely affecting the quality of surrounding waters, according to a report.

The "Report of the Illegally Grounded Military Vessel Destroying the Coral Reef Ecosystem at Ren'ai Reef", released on Monday by the Ministry of Natural Resources' South China Sea Ecological Center and the South China Sea Development Research Institute, said that personnel on the vessel are suspected of fishing, and fishing nets and garbage have led to extensive coral death.

The Philippine military vessel has been illegally grounded since 1999 near Ren'ai Reef, an uninhabited reef that is an integral part of China's Nansha Islands in the South China Sea. This not only seriously violates China's sovereignty but also causes continuous damage to the coral reef ecosystem, according to the report.