Increased fishing activity in the Philippines has reduced diversity by nearly 20 percent since the 1950s. This was pointed out by maritime scholars who participated in a roundtable discussion on marine biodiversity conservation organized recently by the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea. According to Aliño, some area beyond the country’s national jurisdiction overlaps with some of the areas which the Philippines has been accorded in ruling issued by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration on the Philippines-China territorial dispute over the West Philippine Sea.

Mabasa, R. C. (2017, January 12). Overexploitation has cut diversity in Philippine waters. Manila Bulletin, p. B-8.