The Philippines will lose 298,000 kilos of fish or roughly P 17.8 million in total value per year, unless the national government pursues a comprehensive rehabilitation program on the network of coral reef damaged by the grounding of USS Guardian on January 17.
The study was presented during a forum held at the Palawan State University (PSU) by scientists and marine who took part in the March 11-13 Sovereignty and Environmental Mission in Palawan regarding the impact of the crushing of the US minesweeper that hit the Tubbataha Reef Park nearly two months ago.
According to Earth Island Institute Philippines and the Iloilo-based Fisheries Marine and Environment Research Institute (FMERI), the calculated damage as far as fishery resources is concerned is just a tip of the ice berg and they have not considered other fishery resources destroyed by the grounding of the US warship on the 130,000 hectare network of corals in the UNESCO declared World Heritage Site.
The three-day mission on People’s Inquiry on the Tubbataha Tragedy was organized by Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), Anakpawis partylist and the International Fisherfolk and fishWorkers Coalition (IFWC) in cooperation with Earth Island Philippines, FMERI, Sentro Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (Sentra) in cooperation with Palawan-based groups Katribu partylist, Anakbayan and College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP).
Pamalakaya vice chairperson Salvador France and Anakpawis partylist vice chairperson Fernando Hicap agreed with the observations raised by marine and environmental experts from Earth Island Philippines and FMERI. They said the Tubbataha reef environmental disaster will affect the yearly production of 800,000 metric ton of fish in Sulu-Celebes Sea and Palawan Sea, and could endanger the livelihood of more than 100,000 fisherfolk and fish workers in major fishing areas situated near the protected seascape.
“It is just a conservative estimate. The far-reaching effect of the Tubbataha tragedy dated January 17, 2013 courtesy of US imperial rapists will be felt in the next five to ten years,” lamented France and Hicap in their joint statement.
The 15-man Sovereignty and Environmental Mission scored President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, whom they claimed failed to assert the sovereign rights of the Filipino people in connection with the Tubbataha Reef. France and Hicap, who led the mission in Puerto Princesa said, the Philippine government under the Aquino administration never entertain the filing of criminal and other appropriate charges against officials and 79 crew members of USS Guardian.
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