BFAR: Rozul Reef corals damaged, but marine biodiversity still in 'good condition'

The marine biodiversity at Rozul Reef in the West Philippine Sea remains in good condition despite the corals there being evidently harvested and damaged, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said Thursday.

BFAR spokesperson Nazario Briguera said that the Philippines should instead focus more on the sand or crushed corals that were found in the seabed of Rozul Reef.

"In terms of marine biodiversity, may mga initial reports na nagsasabi na in good condition pa naman 'yung marine biodiversity sa Rozul Reef," he said in a public briefing.

(There are initial reports saying that the marine biodiversity in Rozul Reef is still in good condition.)

"Pero kailangan mas tingnan 'yung mga buhangin or coral ravels, titignan kung man-made ba ito or talagang ito 'yung natural appearance ng mga corals doon sa lugar," he added.

(What should be looked at more closely are the sand or coral ravels to see if they are man-made or if that is really the natural appearance of the corals in that area.)

An underwater video taken in the Rozul Reef showed the pale color of the crushed corals, different from the live ones, based on a 24 Oras report of Chino Gaston's on Wednesday.

Despite this, there are signs that the biodiversity is recovering, such as a clownfish being spotted on its sea anemone and small fish swimming near the dead corals.

Briguera said that it would take further investigation and research to find out if the sand or crushed corals in the Rozul Reef were man-made.

In September 2023, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported "severe damage" to the marine environment and coral reef in the seabed of Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal.

This came after the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command first reported that there were cases of massive coral harvesting along Rozul Reef.

The area, which is within the country's exclusive economic zone, is where Chinese military and militia vessels have been seen swarming.

The China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied that the Chinese were responsible for the damage to corals in the West Philippine Sea.

"The Philippines' accusations have no factual basis. We urge relevant party of the Philippines to stop creating a political drama from fiction," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said last year. — VDV, GMA Integrated News