Photo credit: PCG

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has issued a statement strongly condemning any activities leading to the damage and destruction of the coral reefs in the Kalayaan Island Group.

It joins the call for signatory states of UNCLOS to adhere to Article 192, which emphasizes the need to protect and preserve the marine environment.

This comes as the Philippines and over 60 other countries celebrate the signing of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement.

In its statement, the agency said that scientific studies have consistently demonstrated the critical importance of the marine ecosystem in the Kalayaan Island Group for the sustainable supply of fish and coral larvae in the Philippines and the broader region.

The rich biodiversity found in the reefs, shoals, and coasts of the West Philippine Sea has been extensively documented by the DENR, the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority, the University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute, and other partner organizations.

DENR said that it will be ready to assist in any legal options that concerned government agencies in the country may pursue.