A Chinese government report into the ecosystem of the contested Scarborough Shoal has concluded the reef was in a good overall condition, but suggested that “illegal fishing and frequent intrusive activities” by the Philippines were putting it at risk.
The report, released on Monday, said the overall condition of the shoal’s coral reef was “good” with 135 different species of reef-building coral present.
Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines, is one of the major flashpoints in the South China Sea territorial dispute between China and the Philippines.
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It has been the scene of regular confrontations between coastguards from the two countries, and they have also traded accusations of ecological damage.
In one of the most recent incidents, China’s military said earlier this month it had expelled several small Philippine aircraft from the waters over the reef.
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Xiong Xiaofei, a senior engineer at the South China Sea Ecological Centre, told state broadcaster CCTV: “The average coverage rate of reef-building corals in the Huangyan Island National Nature Reserve reached 38.8 per cent, which is considered a very high level. It serves as an important habitat for the reproduction and survival of many rare and endangered wildlife species.”