The Philippines emphasized before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in Hamburg, Germany that the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration that denied China’s expansive claims to the South China Sea also cites the “obligation to protect and preserve the marine environment.” The statement came as reports indicated widespread damage done by Chinese fishing boats in the Rozul (Iroquois) Reef and Escoda (Sabina) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

Requejo, R. E. & Ramos-Araneta, M. (2023, September 20). 'Arbitral ruling also stresses marine protection'. Manila Standard, pp. A1, A2.