[Coral-List] New (old) way to murder a coral reef

Richard Dunne RichardPDunne at aol.com
Thu Apr 16 06:42:15 EDT 2015


Phil Dustan refers to the Spratly Islands development by the Chinese as 
being "in violation of international law" and appears to contrast it 
with the UK/US development of military facilities on Diego Garcia. He 
also claims that the Chinese are taking destruction to a "new and higher 
level ".

I fail to see the distinction. The Chagos are subject to a claim to 
sovereignty by UK and Mauritius. The Spratly Islands are also subject to 
multiple claims to sovereignty by China, Vietnam, Philippines etc. Why 
should Chinese actions in the Spratlys be any more a violation of 
international law than the UK/US actions in Chagos?

The political situation in the Spratlys has also been tense for as long 
as I have known about it (since the 1980s).

As to the "destruction", is he aware of the levels of 'development' on 
Diego Garcia and has he compared this to the current actions by the Chinese?

Magnus is quite right to say "people in glass houses"

Richard P Dunne


On 11/04/2015 16:51, Magnus Johnson wrote:
> I absolutely agree - The situation with Mauritius is quite tense.  The US should leave Diego Garcia now unless the Chagossians choose to keep them there.  The UK should transport Chagossians back to their homeland and pay them significant compensation.  The Chagossians should determine the conservation of their waters.  The world should support them and the sustained conservation of Chagos and surrounding waters on a legitimate footing.
>
> http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-chagossians-the-indian-ocean-islanders-exiled-from-their-home-and-struggling-to-make-ends-meet-in-britain-10169107.html
>
> Coral reef conservation cannot be sustainable in a political, moral and legal vacuum.  We cannot pretend to hold the moral high ground and encourage or demand better behaviour when our behaviours and inabilities to conserve our own back yards are and have been at times is just as bad as that of China.
>
> "How is it that supposed experts and "guardians of nature" come here after having failed to conserve trees and wildlife in their places of origin?"
>
> (Maasai community leader; from Dowie 2011, Conservation Refugees)
>   ________________________________________
> From: Phil Dustan [dustanp at cofc.edu]
> Sent: 10 April 2015 15:23
> To: Magnus  Johnson
> Cc: Coral List
> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] New (old) way to murder a coral reef
>
> Magnus,
>    So Just because a bunch of reefs have been murdered by military powers over time there is no reason to take the destruction to new and higher levels on purpose, especially when it is in violation of international law and aggravates an already tense political problem (http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/10/us-china-southchinasea-reach-idUSKBN0N10YJ20150410).
>
> On Thu, Apr 9, 2015 at 12:29 PM, Magnus Johnson <m.johnson at hull.ac.uk<mailto:m.johnson at hull.ac.uk>> wrote:
> People in glass houses . . . .
>
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.google.co.uk_maps_place_Diego-2BGarcia-2BMilitary-2BBase_-40-2D7.3914155-2C72.4053261-2C61220m_data-3D-213m1-211e3-214m2-213m1-211s0x2492724c04a8a721-3A0xbce8b282922bb016&d=AwIFAg&c=7MSSWy9Bs2yocjNQzurxOQ&r=mxnjGj1-K1cYCH-JH1g-7Q&m=yzWpp1zsQBYO6fwtFB7R0j7PJl0TyzMzAGigu1jlOKQ&s=jcitp4LPn5shs-8B1hkgtlb__jTC49lsUbNoFcYYJcM&e=
>
> (UK & US: disputed territory, damage to reefs and wildlife, unlicensed fishing, riding roughshod over international conventions)
> ________________________________________
> ________________________________________
> From: Phil Dustan [dustanp at cofc.edu<mailto:dustanp at cofc.edu>]
> Sent: 09 April 2015 10:44
> To: Coral List
> Subject: [Coral-List] New way to murder a coral reef
>
> Greetings Listers,
>   While we ponder the ways of the diving industry the Chinese have taken
> reef destruction to another dimension in the South China Sea:
>
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.scmp.com_news_asia_article_1761516_satellite-2Dphotos-2Dshow-2Dchina-2Dreclaiming-2Dland-2Daround-2Ddisputed-2Dmischief-2Dreef&d=AwIFAg&c=7MSSWy9Bs2yocjNQzurxOQ&r=mxnjGj1-K1cYCH-JH1g-7Q&m=yzWpp1zsQBYO6fwtFB7R0j7PJl0TyzMzAGigu1jlOKQ&s=wuvvHFgAUejwRDjUAXbyDMZOaftEKQHi4u_cjiQoWNc&e=
>
>
> --
> Phillip Dustan
> Department of Biology
> College of Charleston
> Charleston SC  20401
> Charleston SC
> 843 953 8086<tel:843%20953%208086> (voice)
> 843-224-3321<tel:843-224-3321> (m)
>
>
>


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