ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – The ecological problems that occur in the South China Sea will certainly have an impact on Indonesia even though only a few of its marine areas touch the North Natuna Sea.
According to Researcher and Deputy Director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative CSIS Harrison Prétat, ecosystem damage due to excessive fishing and the death of marine species will cause a decline in the quality of Indonesia’s marine ecosystem, especially in areas near the South China Sea.
“Even if Indonesia does not claim any islands in the South China Sea, activities and whatever happens in the area will have an impact on the quality of Indonesia’s seas,” said Prétat at the Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative (IOJI) press conference in Jakarta, Friday, March 15 2024.
Meanwhile, Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative CSIS researcher, Monica Sato stated that based on the results of their calculations, around 21 percent of coral reefs in the South China Sea have been damaged due to human actions.
Previous CSIS research concluded that seabed dredging for the construction of new islands as well as massive fishing for giant clams were the main factors exacerbating damage to the South China Sea.
Meanwhile, IOJI Maritime Security Senior Advisor Andreas Aditya Salim said that environmental problems in the South China Sea will have an impact on Indonesia because the marine ecosystem does not recognize maritime boundaries between countries.
“Whatever happens there will definitely have an impact here, it’s just a matter of time before it happens,” said Andreas.
However, apart from the ecosystem impact, territorial disputes and political dynamics in the South China Sea will also have an impact on Indonesia, he said.
The IOJI researcher gave the example of a country’s outpost occupying the coral reefs of the South China Sea, if built too close to Indonesia’s maritime boundaries, it could pose a threat to the country’s sovereignty.
“If we are not careful about the pattern of pressure from foreign countries (in the South China Sea) and this continues, it could also threaten us,” he said. (ANT)
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