Environmentalist Urges Government to Update Maps of Marine Resources

Following the grounding of a Chinese fishing vessel in Tubattaha Monday, an environmentalist urged the government to update the country’s maps for navigation.

“The unfortunate incident in Tubattaha highlights the need to strengthen our institutional capacity to protect our remaining marine resources which is currently facing unprecedented crisis,” said Vince Cinches of Greenpeace Philippines, in a text message.

Cinches said to do it, the government must “update our maps not just for navigation but for us to know the location of remaining resources we need to protect,” and also “allocate more funds to conduct pro-active regular joint patrol within our national and municipal water to deter the illegal activities.”

Cinches’ statement came after a Chinese vessel ran aground in Tubattaha Reefs Natural Park in Palawan last Monday, shortly after a US Minesweeper was plucked out of it, after it also met the same fate last January, just barely a week ago. Allegedly the grounding of the two vessels was blamed to the country’s outdated maps.

Meanwhile, the Tubbataha Management Office has yet to find out why the said Chinese vessel was in the country’s 97,000-hectare diving destination.