A lawmaker has proposed to declare the three nautical miles off the Kalayaan island group and Scarborough Shoal as a marine protected area (MPA) to prevent poaching and reclamation activities, among others.
Palawan Representative Eduard Hagedorn proposed House Bill 6373, saying the move is following the 2016 UN Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling upholding the Philippines’ 200 nautical miles off territorial sea exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea and the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System law of 2018.
“The South China Sea, where the WPS is located, has high biological diversity and is, unfortunately, suffering significant environmental degradation due to overfishing, poaching, and landfilling or reclamation. For this reason, the establishment of MPA around the KIG and Scarborough Shoal is needed for environmental protection,” Hagedorn said in his explanatory note on the measure.
He said the tribunal's decision found that coral reef ecosystems of several reefs have suffered "severe and irreparable harm" and have been "permanently destroyed" due to land reclamation and construction of artificial islands, installations, and structures in the area. “We must learn to cooperate as one region in the protection of our natural resources while we settle the territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea. The protection of the rich marine resources and environment of the West Philippine Sea is a shared interest and responsibility of all adjoining states around the South China Sea which should be a guiding policy for all of us in the region,” Hagedorn said.