A Chinese researcher dives into the seabed to detect the ecosystem condition around Huangyan Dao. (Photo/Courtesy of South China Institute of Environmental Sciences under China Ministry of Ecology and Environment)
China on Wednesday released the first investigative and assessment report on the ecological environment near Huangyan Dao (also known as Huangyan Island) in the South China Sea, revealing that the area enjoys excellent eco-environmental quality.
As the Philippines accused Chinese fishermen of destroying coral reefs around Huangyan Dao due to “illegal actions such as harvesting endangered giant clams” in May, Chinese experts believe that Manila's move to shift blame to China in an attempt to pursue a new legal battle is doomed to be futile in light of the evidence and facts revealed in the report.
From May to June, Chinese scientific researchers carried out an unprecedentedly large-scale on-site investigation to assess the ecological and environmental conditions in the Huangyan Dao area. This included evaluating seawater quality, marine sediment quality, biological quality, floating litter, as well as coral communities, reef-dwelling fish, and other typical biological groups, with the assistance of satellite remote sensing analysis.
The results of the research revealed a good seawater and marine sediment quality, which was below-standard levels of pollutants, zero cyanide detected of seawater samples, an abundant distribution of giant clams, and a healthy state of the coral reef ecosystem.
Experts noted that this scientific research shows that China's effective governance of Huangyan Dao has played a positive role in protecting the island's ecological environment.
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