PUERTO PRINCESA CITY – Marine scientists who have recently surveyed the coral reefs around the areas occupied by the Philippines in the disputed Spratly Islands say they are either dead or dying due to unabated destructive fishing practices by fishermen of various nationalities.

“The unabated use of dynamite and cyanide fishing has destroyed the coral reefs around Pag-Asa islands alone by over 60 percent. What is even scarier is that the destruction continues as we speak,” Dr. Ben Gonzales, marine biologist, told the Inquirer Friday.

Gonzales led a team of marine biologists from the Western Philippines University (WPU) that conducted a two-week survey in the areas around Pag-Asa early this month as part of an initiative by the Kalayaan municipality to develop the territory as a tourist destination.

He noted that the use of cyanide, a method used by diving fishermen to stun fish and catch them live for a higher commercial value, is the main cause of the destruction.

“Based on the narratives of island residents, Vietnamese and Chinese fishermen are the usual culprits,” Gonzales said.

Soldiers manning the Philippine claims generally do not bother to stop foreign nationals from employing fishing techniques that are considered illegal under Philippine fisheries laws.

“While we were there, the soldiers approached a Vietnamese fishing party that was using compressors for diving into the corals. But it was because they came too close to the shore of the island,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales explained that compressors are commonly used along with the practice of cyanide fishing that is highly destructive to corals.

Honorio Pagliawan and Joel Decera, teachers of the WPU marine biology department, said they have collected data indicating that while the Kalayaan Island Group is still considered a major spawning ground for fishes, the threat of a decline in its productivity is imminent.

“There are no rules being followed out there. It’s the wild wild west of commercial fishing,” they said.

Gonzales pointed out that previous studies conducted decades ago by other groups including the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute regard the Spratlys as a spawning ground with a high diversity of reef fishes compared to other parts of the country.

“It is still a productive area for fishing but is now increasingly being destroyed because there are no regulations,” he said.

The scientists proposed that at least in the Philippine-occupied territories, the Philippine government impose “a no-take zone policy on certain areas considered important spawning grounds.”

Gonzales added, however, that as a potential for dive tourism destination, the Kalayaan Islands Group is no longer an attractive proposition compared to other places in Palawan that are less disturbed.