The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday refuted China's claim that its ongoing reclamation activities on the disputed West Philippine Sea have not damaged the area's ecological environment. This handout photo taken on Feb. 25, 2014 and received from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs on April 13 shows an aerial shot of what appears to be a large-scale reclamation by China on the Chinese-held Johnson South Reef. China has pursued these activities unilaterally, disregarding peoples in the surrounding states who have depended on the sea for their livelihood for generations. Moreover, we note that China has tolerated environmentally harmful fishing practices by its nationals at Bajo De Masinloc which breaches its obligations under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)," the press release noted.

Villaruel, J. E. (2015, April 14). Beijing’s reclamation on disputed areas has destroyed coral reefs, Manila says. BusinessWorld, p. S1/12.