Chinese vessels that have been spotted in parts of the South China Sea, or West Philippine Sea, have been dumping human waste and wastewater for many years now, which can coral reefs and marine life.
Liz Derr, who heads Simularity Inc., a company creating artificial intelligence technologies for satellite imagery, said satellite images over the last five years show how human waste, sewage and wastewater have accumulated and caused algae in a cluster of reefs in the Spratlys region specifically where Chinese fishing ships have anchored in batches.
“When the ships don’t move, the poop piles up,” Derr said. “The hundreds of ships that are anchored in the Spratlys are dumping raw sewage onto the reefs they are occupying.”
Chinese officials did not immediately react to Derr’s statements, but have earlier said that they have taken steps to protect the fisheries stock and the environment in the South China Sea.
“This is a catastrophe of epic proportions and we are close to the point of no return,” Derr said.
She warned that schools of fish, including migratory tuna, breed in the reefs that are being damaged and could cause fish stocks to considerably decline. This, in turn, could affect regional food supplies.
