ANNUAL REPORT

197
Environmental Impact of China’s Island Building
in the South China Sea
Between 2013 and 2015, Chinese dredgers deposited sand and
gravel on top of about five square miles of coral reefs in the
South China Sea.* 21 In addition, according to John W. McManus,
professor of marine biology and fisheries at the University of
Miami, China’s dredging of sand and gravel for the island building
and dredging of channels and harbors at the artificial islands
resulted in damage to at least 40.68 square kilometers (km)
(15.7 square miles [mi]) of reefs in the Spratly Islands. 22 Furthermore,
Kent Carpenter, professor of biological sciences at Old
Dominion University, whom the tribunal consulted as part of the
proceedings in the Philippines’ arbitration case, said island
building, such as that conducted by China, ‘‘removes vital components
of available reef habitat that have functioned as a single
ecosystem for many generations of reef inhabitants. This causes
dramatic reductions in populations and local extinction of prominent
fishes and invertebrates.’’ † 23
China’s island building will almost certainly contribute to increased
Chinese fishing in the surrounding waters. The Chinese
government claims these islands will provide Chinese and foreign
fishing boats with shelter during storms as well as repair
and replenishment services. 24 In addition, however, they could
exacerbate the already severe problem of fisheries depletion in
the South China Sea and will raise the risk of a clash between
Chinese fishing boats and those of other claimant countries. Chinese
fishing boats regularly ram or otherwise harass other ships
in the South China Sea, 25 and China’s practice of using coast
guard ships to protect its fishing boats could further raise the
risk of a clash, particularly as the port facilities at China’s outposts
will enhance the coast guard’s ability to operate in the area.
Of further concern is that China’s maritime militia, a quasimilitary
force of fishermen that are tasked by and report to the
PLA, has a key role in China’s South China Sea strategy. They
are trained to participate in a variety of missions, including
search and rescue, reconnaissance, deception operations, law enforcement,
and ‘‘rights protection,’’ which often entails activities
like harassing foreign vessels in China’s claimed waters. 26
These developments are occurring in the context of a looming
fisheries crisis in the South China Sea. In an interview with National
Geographic, Dr. McManus said that due to overfishing,
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* Although these reefs may already have been damaged by the widespread harvesting of giant
clams in the South China Sea by Chinese fishermen in recent years, coral could have grown
there again if they were left undisturbed. However, as long as the reefs are buried, coral will
never grow there. Hannah Beech, ‘‘The Environment Is the Silent Casualty of Beijing’s Ambitions
in the South China Sea,’’ Time, June 1, 2016; Victor R. Lee, ‘‘Satellite Imagery Shows
Ecocide in the South China Sea,’’ Diplomat (Japan), January 16, 2016.
† For more information on the environmental impact of China’s island building in the Spratly
Islands, see Matthew Southerland, ‘‘China’s Island Building in the South China Sea: Damage
to the Marine Environment, Implications, and International Law,’’ U.S.-China Economic and Security
Review Commission, April 12, 2016.
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