250,000 hectares of abandoned shrimp ponds worldwide by Jessica Lim
9,000 hectares of mangroves were lost to prawn farming yearly between 1980 to 1995. Official Forestry Department statistics say that nearly 9,000 hectares of mangrove now are being devoted to shrimp farms. But the trail of destruction that followed in the wake of the shrimp farming boom is not pretty. "Businessmen chopped the trees, excavated the land and bred their shrimps. After a few years, the land became unsuitable, and they moved to a new plot," says Maritime Institute Malaysia senior researcher Tan Kim Hooi. He explained that the shrimp ponds of those days only lasted between two and five years. After some years, the soil became too acidic and water quality deteriorated, lowering prawn yields. "It’s what we call the ‘rape-and-run’ business." Fish in focus. This year’s focus on fisheries for World Wetlands Day is one reflection of how seriously global environment giants are taking the aquaculture issue. Some of the concerns, says the Ramsar report, are the industry’s heavy dependency on antibiotics and hormones, the use of wild fish as a food source and the introduction of non-native species. It’s like clearing a natural forest to build a chicken farm. You lose thousands of plants and animals, but at least you can sell the chickens. In Bangladesh, according to a report by international NGO Mangrove Action Project, 10 agricultural jobs were lost for every job created in aquaculture. In Andhra Pradesh, shrimp aquaculture generated US$500 million. But estimated losses from environmental damage cost US$2 billion. The report went on to say that for every dollar earned by the industry, four was being lost by the people, the coastal ecology and therefore the country as a whole. But the industry got hit most badly when a worldwide shrimp epidemic called White Spot Syndrome Virus broke out in the mid 1990s. The disease, which caused prawns to literally curl up and die within days of being infected, heralded a grim end to many a shrimp-harvesting dream. In recent years, a tighter rein had been put on aquaculture activities, says Tan. Guidelines which took environmental sustainability into account had been imposed on the industry, ensuring that at least a measure of control was exercised. "Prawn farms now are supposed to be built further inland away from the mangroves, and the good farms line the bottom of their ponds properly," he says. But the damage of yesteryear has been done, leaving the world with an estimated 250,000 hectares of abandoned shrimp ponds. Ugly, ugly, everywhere: Tan estimates that about 4,000 hectares of previously teeming mangroves in Malaysia now lie desolate and barren, no thanks to shrimp farms thatcouldn’t hack it. He’s among a growing pool of experts who suggest that mangrove replanting efforts be focused on abandoned shrimp ponds where they have a better chance of thriving, rather than on open coasts. "After the tsunami, there were many efforts to plant mangroves on open coasts. Most of these have failed." He said that building hard structures along coasts to block high-energy waves was also expensive. One pilot project highlighted by the New Sunday Times last week (Mangrove shelter, Jan 28) cost RM1 million to rehabilitate 250 metres of open coast. The first priority, he said, should be gazetting over 100,000 hectares of yet ungazetted mangrove forest. The replanting of mangroves around the region, says J.H. Primavera of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre, have mostly been expensive and unsuccessful because of two basic factors — wrong sites and wrong species. "Mangrove rehabilitation should focus on these aquaculture pond sites because they are in the middle to higher sub-tidal zones that are most ideal for mangrove growth," said Primavera, who does most of his work in the Philippines. One reason why replanting locations thus far focused on the lower open coasts was because these zones often posed no ownership conflicts, whereas the pond culture areas were more prone to be legally covered by private or government land titles. "To plant at the most optimum sites will require great political will. And this is a big question mark in many countries in this region." Putting the groove back inThe ponds could be easily restored as long as hydrology was restored, and seedlings allowed to enter and take root, explained Tan. Some abandoned ponds had self-regenerated without any human help. This happened when waves broke through the man-made pond bunds and fresh sea water sloshed in by itself, bringing in mangrove seedlings with it. "For some, it’s a simple matter of breaking down the bunds, so seawater and seeds can come in to naturally regenerate," says Tan. If that didn’t work, then manpower might have to be harnessed to physically plant the saplings. The success rate, he is convinced, will be very high, and at a cost of a few hundred ringgit per hectare. "But of course it will not be overnight. Full ecosystem function may never be fully restored, but one study showed that fishery production will make a comeback in six years." Referring to successful pond-restoring projects in Vietnam, he said local communities could be appointed as ‘stewards’ of rehabilitation projects, with funds coming from the government. We’ve already seen one successful project here, said Tan. For years, the Penang Inshore Fishermen Welfare Association had been successfully restoring abandoned ponds. The group of simple fishermen made headlines after the tsunami hit, because the 25,000 mangrove saplings they planted over the years was believed to have lessened the impact of the great wave on their village. © 2008 NST Online.

Chen pays visit to Dongsha Islands
President Chen Shui-bian yesterday paid a third visit to the Dongsha Islands and used the occasion to call on neighboring countries to hold dialogue with Taiwan to settle territorial disputes over islands in the South China Sea, as well as preserve marine life in the region. "As oceanic people, inhabitants of Taiwan have the obligation to protect the marine ecosystem in the region. We also urge our neighboring countries to join us in resolving sovereignty issues in a peaceful manner," he said. The president repeated the plea he had made during his visit to the Spratly Islands two weeks ago, calling on the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia to resolve their disputes through peaceful negotiations. Chen said his "Spratly Initiative" called for environmental protection to replace the political disputes and depletion of natural resources. The president said Taiwan would respect the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea signed by ASEAN nations in November 2002 and that Taiwan looks forward to participating in the establishment of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. The Dongsha Islands, also known as the Pratas Islands, consists of three islands located in the northeastern South China Sea. The islands are rich in rare fauna and flora. The islands are administered by Taiwan under the jurisdiction of the Kaohsiung City Government. In January last year, the Dongsha Marine National Park was established. It is the nation's newest and largest national park. During his visit, Chen, accompanied by Minister of National Defense Lee Tien-yu, said the national park was proof of Taiwan's dedication and commitment to marine conservation. He said Taiwan would continue its efforts and called on neighboring countries to join in. The president said Southeast Asian countries should emulate the Micronesia Challenge posed by Palauan President Tommy Remengesau in 2005. Remengesau challenged the leaders of Micronesian countries to conserve 30 percent of near shore marine resources and 20 percent of forest resources by 2020. "In the past, the Dongsha and Spratly Islands have been associated with army bases and military conflict. This mentality has overlooked the precious ecological and marine life that exists in the region," Chen said. He said that whenever he flies to the islands, the word "fulfillment" enters his mind. "We [the Taiwanese people] can enjoy the beauty of marine ecology without having to travel all the way to the South Pacific. To me, this is one of the greatest gifts that God has bestowed upon the Taiwanese people," Chen said. © 1999-2008 The Taipei Times.

Fish bombing kills everything by Elizabeth John
Coral reefs contribute to the annual fish catch that provides food for about one billion people in Asia alone but nowhere are they most at risk than in this same region. Destructive fishing practices are among the key problems for reefs, says a Fish for Tomorrow?, a report released in conjunction with World Wetlands Day 2007. In Southeast Asian coral reefs, blast fishers may earn US$15,000 per square kilometre. But over a 20-year period, they could generate losses of up to US$700,000 per square kilometre, says the report. Fish bombing — the use of explosives to catch fish — used to be a serious problem in waters off the Sabah coast. A decade ago, a coral rich area off north Borneo used to be plagued by six blasts an hour, says Dr Annadel Cabanban of the Worldwide Fund for Nature. But awareness projects and providing blast fishers with alternative livelihoods have brought those devastating blasts down to one an hour. A government move to turn the area — stretching over a million hectares and covering 50 islands off the districts of Marudu, Kudat and Pitas — into the Tun Mustapha Marine Park could see fish bombing disappear for good, she adds. Fish bombing in reefs is destructive because it destroys coral and kills everything in the impact area, explains Cabanban, who is also manager of the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion conservation programme. "From old to young, everything dies. The entire fish stock is reduced because nothing’s left to reproduce." The blasts affect fish in a cruel way. It hits the gas bladder of fish — an internal organ that helps fish to control its buoyancy, the same way an air-filled life jacket keeps us afloat in water. The only good news is that reefs can recover, says Cabanban. There are areas in Sabah where bombed out reefs that have been shut off and protected have recovered over time. © 2008 NST Online.

Govt to study effectiveness of fuel subsidy for fishermen
Alor Star - The declining marine catch in the country has prompted the government to study the effectiveness of its fuel subsidy for fishermen. Despite the government subsidy, Agriculture and Agrobased Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the national marine catch of the fishermen dropped by 1.5 per cent in 2006. He said the ministry wanted the Fisheries Development Board to carry out a study and obtain reports from fishermen's associations for feedback on the drop in the marine catch. "For every fishing boat, the government spends RM4,000 monthly to provide fuel subsidy to the fishermen. However, the amount does not commensurate with the catch they bring in. "Plans are underway to introduce the e-landing system whereby, fishing boats using subsidised fuel would be installed with a tracking device to enable the authorities to monitor their movement. "The system will also held to address smuggling of subsidised diesel," he told reporters after launching a farmers gathering here today. Earlier in his speech, Muhyiddin said the government regretted claims by certain quarters which perceived Malaysia's move in emphasising on agriculture as a step backward. He added that efforts by the government to enhance the country's agriculture sector should not be perceived as moving backward, rather giving the sector a boost by giving added-value to ensure sufficient food supply in the country. Muhyiddin said the country depended on imported food as it was only capable of producing 75 percent of food for the people. © 2008 BERNAMA.

sLost wetlands being recovered by Teresa Yong
Malaysian wetlands shrunk to 564,970 hectares four years ago from the estimated 1.1 million hectares of mangroves in 1966, said Sarala Aikanathan, Wetlands International Malaysia director. After the tsunami disaster in December 2004, the Malaysian government recognised the important role of coastal peat swamps in reducing the impact of waves and the other benefits. It ordered mangrove replanting schemes to begin in all states. “Last year, the target was to plant 200ha of mangroves in the peninsula,” Sarala said. The Johor floods last year accounted for RM50 million losses. Two years ago, 90,000 people were evacuated and last year, over 34,000. Sarala attributed the severity of the floods to the loss of wetlands in the state. Drainage of peatland in Johor over the years for planting pineapples caused land subsidence. This caused many areas to be below river levels. “While we cannot prevent major floods, we can ensure that we benefit from the flood protection that wetlands offer. Rivers, lakes and marshes slow down and retain floodwaters. “The broader implications of concrete chanellisation of our rivers and draining our marshes and natural flood plains need to be understood in our urban planning.” Peatlands are not just useless marshes. Increasingly, environmental researchers and scientists have found it to be the greatest carbon stores in the ecosystem. Though it covers only three per cent of the Earth’s land area, it accounts for about a third of the global soil carbon and 70 times the current annual global emissions from fossil fuels. “In Southeast Asia, peatlands account for 2.7 million hectares or about 10 per cent of the land area, with an estimated carbon storage of 2,000 mega tonnes of carbon. “Burning of peatland and drainage activities have led to massive increases in greenhouse gases (GHG). “It’s estimated that emissions from degraded peatland alone emit 600 million tonnes, accounting for eight per cent of the total global GHG emissions,” Sarala said. Sewage treatment plants, animal farms and factories continue to cause water pollution. In 2006, 18,956 point source pollution incidents were reported. Pollution from sewage treatment plants was 9,060 (47 per cent) and manufacturing, 45 per cent. Non-point sources of water pollution would include agricultural activities and the run-off. “Wetlands are highly undervalued and often taken for granted by people. What is misunderstood and undervalued are the multiple ecological, social, psychological and economic functions they serve.” Consider these facts: • Wetlands supply us with fish (including shellfish) and plants (including fruits, seeds and vegetables).
• One billion people rely on fish as their main or sole source of protein and many more consume fish regularly.
• Rice is the most important at a global level, providing 20 per cent of the world’s dietary energy supply.
• Declining fish stocks in Malaysia endanger the lives of birds, the bigger fish and mammals.
• Our wetlands, if well managed, will continue to provide food to keep us healthy — but there are many human actions that negatively affect the capacity of wetlands to continue to provide for us.
• Inland wetlands (rivers, lakes, ponds, marshes, etc) perform a vital function in filtering and purifying fresh water, rendering it “clean” for human consumption.
• Over one billion people lack access to clean water supplies. Wetlands can only provide us with clean water if we keep them healthy through effective management.
• Rubbish, especially plastics in water are dangerous to birds, fish and mammals of the wetlands.
Sarala said the wetlands were also a source for medicines. “Many wetlands plants and animal species have been used in traditional medicines for millennia and this continues until today. “They are used in homeopathic medicines, an ever-growing industry in developed countries, and play a role in the development and production of modern medicines. “However, over-collection, destructive harvesting techniques, habitat loss and alteration challenge the capacity of wetland species to continue to fulfil their roles ”Sarala said. The World Health Organisation estimates that depression-related illnesses will become the greatest source of ill health by 2020. Physical inactivity in urban populations is also contributing to other diseases. “Urban green spaces, which include rivers, lakes and reservoirs, provide space for recreation, education and relaxation. “The value of green spaces in improving the mental and physical health of urban populations is gaining greater recognition. “Current studies indicate measurable physical and psychological benefits from regular contact with urban green spaces. “So urban wetlands have a key role to play,” Sarala emphasised. There are projects funded by the United Nations Development Programme that look into implementing an integrated management plan in peat swamp forests in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak. “We need to review the role of wetlands in Malaysia and the role they play in flood prevention. “Protection of the remaining peatlands and restoration of degraded peatlands provide a very cost-effective way to reduce GHG emissions in the region. “This was recognised at the recent United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and different financial mechanisms are now being studied to compensate nations to protect and conserve the peatlands,” she added. What is a wetland? It is an area of marsh, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or saltish, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres. Wetlands can be:
• marine (coastal wetlands, including coastal lagoons, rocky shores, and coral reefs);
• estuarine (including deltas, tidal marshes, and mangrove swamps);
• lacustrine (wetlands associated with lakes);
• riverine (wetlands along rivers and streams); and,
• palustrine (meaning “marshy” — marshes, swamps and bogs).

Threats to peatlands
• Pollution, excessive water abstraction, poor sanitation, over-harvesting and wetland destruction all reduce or destroy the capacity of wetlands to provide food for human consumption and environmental services.
• The wetlands act as filters or traps for many pathogens. When water flows through wetlands, pathogens lose their viability or are consumed by other organisms.
• Man-made wetlands are being constructed in urban and rural areas to perform this function. It thus prevents untreated sewage reaching natural wetlands that are used as an immediate source of drinking water.
World Wetlands Day is celebrated each year on Feb 2, It marks the anniversary of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention) in Ramsar, Iran, on Feb 2, 1971. There are five Ramsar sites in Malaysia and the country’s largest lake, Tasik Bera in Pahang, was the first. Together with Tanjung Piai, Pulau Kukup, Sungai Pulai in Johor and the Kuching Wetlands in Sarawak, they cover 55,355ha. The theme for the 2008 World Wetlands Day is ‘Healthy Wetlands, Healthy People’. © 2008 NST Online.

Mangrove shelter by Jessica Lim
Standing on the edge of a rickety wooden jetty, the jolly-faced local pointed to a pole sticking out from the rolling sea some 1.5km away. Over four decades, Chai Bak Long watched the sea waves eat aggressively into the mangroves which shielded his fishing village, forcing its residents to move further and further inshore. The fish, large crabs, frogs and birds that lived there rapidly dwindled in size and number, affecting the livelihoods of local fishermen. Today, a giant sausage-like tube snakes across the sea floor. It’s called a geotube. About the diameter of a hawker-stall umbrella and nearly as long as five Olympic-sized swimming pools, it represents the great, green dreams of contractors Perwira Bintang Holding Sdn Bhd. The tube, which the company named Pillowtube, was designed to absorb the relentless thrashing of waves, giving the fragile mangrove saplings within a fighting chance to grow their roots. Occasional breaks in the tube allowed fresh sea water to slosh in and out. At the same time, the tube prevented seedlings from being washed out to sea. “It looks like a sausage, but it’s a very special sausage,” said Perwira Bintang CEO Datuk Tan Kar Meng, who himself grew up among the mangroves of Sungai Besar, Sabak Bernam. The nearly RM1 million pilot project, funded by Selangor Forestry Department, was completed in October. As of last week, Tan said 80 per cent of about 1,800 saplings planted still survived, and thousands of wild ones were growing under the mother trees. This, he said, made it a resounding success. Want a piece of the mud pie? Four months, agree experts, is way too short a time to deem any mangrove replanting project successful. In one such project in Kuala Sala, Kedah, all it took was a series of unusually large wave surges for survival rates of the plants to plummet by over 90 per cent, said Universiti Malaya Maritime Research Centre (UMMReC) research fellow Prof Noraini Mohd Tamin. And that was after it had been growing well for four years, she added. “It takes at least three to four years before we can say the project is successful. Mangroves are so sensitive, things can change in the blink of an eye.” She was also concerned that the Pillowtube makers didn’t involve experts in the field like botanists, sedimentologists and coastal ecologists. She said that although the company had engineers to construct the geotube, they didn’t have the expertise to deal with issues like salinity, soil analysis, hydrology and natural pests. “It’s like making a car. Just because you know how to make the tyres doesn’t mean you should get the contract to build the whole car,” said Prof Noraini, who sits on a task force set up under the Natural Resources and Environmnent Ministry to oversee mangrove and coastal species replanting operations. Selangor Forestry Department director Nik Mohd Shah Nik Mustafa said the company was given the contract because they were well-established and had the relevant expertise in construction. “They can engage other experts if they want to. That is up to them,” he said. But he said that as far as he could see, the mangroves were growing well and he was satisfied with the project. Money well spent? “RM1 million, huh, for 250 metres of geotube,” mused Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA) senior researcher Tan Kim Hooi. About 15 per cent of our 4,800km coastline is lined with mangroves, he pointed out, and a third of the coastline is facing erosion. One estimate put a RM250,000 price tag on every 100 metres of tubing. That is a lot of eroded coast to line with those frightfully expensive tubes. He said that to consider geotubes as a major solution for coastal erosion and protection would be largely ineffective. “It’s a dynamic process. You gain some, you lose some. If the conditions are right, nature repairs itself,” he said, adding that geotubes had not been tested against rising sea levels. “Most mangrove plantings along exposed coastlines have failed. To answer why, we have to determine the reason they were dying out in the first place,” said Tan. He said the heroic efforts to plant mangroves often came to naught because well-meaning parties used the wrong species at the wrong areas. “You won’t believe it. People can look at a mangrove forest, see mother trees of one species, and plant trees from a different species. “Just because a species like as Rhizophora apiculata grows well in Matang mangroves doesn’t mean it will grow well along exposed coastlines. Even if those trees survive, they will probably be stunted,” he said. Mangroves died out in coasts with high-energy waves, he said, because they simply liked it better in more sheltered areas. Thus, he said that the idea of growing mangroves in open coastal areas as protection against tsunamis could be misleading. “It’s better to invest on an early warning system for tsunamis. Encourage mangrove rehabilitation, yes, but in areas where they can thrive naturally.” He also suggested that active replanting in abandoned shrimp ponds would be more viable and cost effective. But most importantly, he said that yet-unprotected mangrove forests (about 100,000 hectares) should be gazetted, and real steps taken to control development in mangrove areas. “What’s the point of trying so hard to plant new mangroves when you’re not doing enough to protect existing ones?” © 2008 NST Online.

Philippines says U.S. offers aid to guard borders by Manny Mogato
Manila - The United States has offered to provide the Philippines with up to $20 million worth of radar and surveillance equipment to guard its porous borders against Muslim militants and smugglers, Manila's defence secretary said. Gilberto Teodoro said at the weekend the country's armed forces would also need newer and faster boats to complement the surveillance system as the Philippines sets up a coastal watch network to tighten control at its maritime borders with Malaysia and Indonesia. "We've been in talks with the United States for the setting up of a coast watch system in the south," Teodoro told Reuters in an interview aboard an air force plane on the way back to Manila from Jolo island, a stronghold of al Qaeda-linked Muslim rebels. "They're willing to provide us the needed hardware. We were told the U.S. funding for our coast watch programme could be sourced from Washington's counter-terrorism programme under section 1206 of the National Defence Authorisation Act of 2006." Since 2002, the United States, Manila's closest security partner in the region, has deployed about 500 troops to help train and advise Filipino soldiers to fight Muslim rebels. During the same period, Washington has also provided about $500 million in military assistance and development projects and to win over the Muslim minority in the mostly Catholic nation. In 2006, Washington was authorised to spend $100 million for projects involving 15 countries, mostly in Asia and Africa, to build capacity for counter-terrorism operations or stability operations in which the U.S. military participates. But the Philippines was not included in the original Section 1206 plan. "We were promised funding under Section 1206 after 2006 when they learned that Australia was helping us set up a border control mechanism in the south," Teodoro added. Another defence official said Manila was promised funds from the Section 1206 programme when Washington suspended military aid to Thailand after the Thai army seized power in September 2006. FAST BOATS Teodoro said it would take several years for Manila to set up a coast watch system guarding the country's vast maritime borders. "We already have a modest system, but we sorely lack the assets that could interdict illegal entrants into our borders," said Teodoro. "We can easily spot an illegal entrant, but if we don't have the boats to catch those crossing into our borders, our coast watch system would be useless." Philippine navy officials said they were hoping to get fast, 400-tonne cyclone-class patrol boats from Washington to outrun boats used by smugglers and Islamic militants. Muslim extremists, including two key suspects in the 2002 Bali bombings, use the Philippines' southern islands as bases, and the United States and other regional powers want to stop them slipping through unpatrolled harbours and coves. Western and Philippine intelligence agencies say small arms, illicit narcotics and consumer goods are also smuggled into the Muslim south. © Reuters 2008.

Roiling the waters in the Spratlys by Brian McCartan
Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian's weekend visit to Taiping Island in the Spratlys has once again heightened tensions in the South China Sea, only a week after China and Vietnam agreed to resolve their disputes over the area diplomatically. Chen's Taiping visit, aboard a Taiwan Air Force C130 Hercules that landed on a 1,150-meter runway on an island that is also claimed by the Philippines and Vietnam, is the latest in a series of disputes that have increased tensions in the region over the Spratlys, a flock of islets in the South China Sea that are claimed in part or entirely by every country surrounding the South China Sea -- China, Taiwan and Vietnam (all), the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei (partly). All but Brunei have troops stationed on the islands. Chen’s landing, which involved the inspection of troops and the opening of a new runway, has been labeled by political analysts and the Taiwanese media as an electioneering stunt to increase the chances of presidential candidate Frank Hsieh of Chen's independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) ahead of March 22nd elections. Chen is to step down in May after eight years as president. But vote-getting trip or not, it has particularly served to anger China and has resulted in protests by Vietnam and the Philippines. The Philippines expressed "serious concern" that the trip may affect peace in the area. Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo said, "The Philippines, therefore, urges all parties to exercise prudence, self restraint and use diplomacy as the tool to settle disputes." Despite the fact that the islands are nothing more than specks that are incapable of supporting life on any scale, control over the sea lanes that run past them is crucial, not just to the six claimants but to Northeast Asian nations and the United States as well. Perceived large oil and gas deposits in the area and rich fishing grounds have made this string of otherwise small islets, reefs and rocky outcroppings very valuable to the nations involved. Fully a fourth of the world's crude oil and oil products flow through what amounts to the globe’s second busiest sea lane, as well as gas, coal and iron ore. Control is important to Washington's Northeast Asian allies, South Korea and Japan because it links them to oil from the Persian Gulf and thus threatens their energy security. Chen’s mischief-making aside, the pressure ratcheted up last March when Vietnam announced a deal between PetroVietnam, British Petroleum (BP) of the UK and ConocoPhillips of the US to jointly explore for gas near the Spratlys. China protested the US$2 billion natural gas field and pipeline project, claiming it infringed on Chinese sovereignty and administrative hegemony over the islands. Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung responded with a statement that the exploration was within the boundaries of Vietnam's exclusive zones and continental shelf. However, in June, BP, PetroVietnam and ConocoPhillips announced a halt in the project. During the same month, China arrested 41 Vietnamese fishermen near the Spratlys for straying into contested waters. They were released after paying fines. Vietnamese fishermen in another incident on July 9th were not as lucky. One fisherman was killed and several others were injured when Chinese navy vessels opened fire on their fishing boats near the islands. Two Vietnamese fast attack boats rushed to the scene but kept their distance from the more powerful Chinese vessels. The use of force was unusual since in recent years Vietnamese vessels have usually been only detained for straying into contested waters. Official Chinese media were initially quiet about the clash, possibly out of a desire to keep the clash from escalating. Military squabbles over sovereignty are not new, however, and have been going on for decades. China seized the Paracel Island group to the north of the Spratlys from what was once the South Vietnamese government in 1974 after a brief battle. Although North Vietnam at the time issued statements supporting the move, the reunified Vietnamese government renewed its claim to the islands and still views them as Vietnamese territory. In another naval battle between China and Vietnam in 1988 near Johnson Reef in the Spratlys more than 70 Vietnamese sailors were killed and two vessels were sunk. Between 1988 and 2002 several confrontations between naval vessels, sometimes violent, were almost a yearly occurrence and seizures of fishing boats and cargo vessels were common. Indeed it was the military that heightened tensions again in November when large military exercises by China in the South China Sea close to the Paracels sparked protest from Vietnam. Beijing claimed that the exercises were normal because they were within its territorial waters. The Vietnamese, however, felt the issue was important enough to be raised by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on the sidelines of the November 2007 Asean Summit in Singapore with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. Dung called for the two countries to continue exchanging opinions in order to find suitable areas and means of cooperation over their disputed and overlapping territories in accordance with international law to find solutions that are amenable to both parties. Wen said he hoped the issue could be resolved by putting maritime boundary claims aside and using a joint approach to exploit the resources of the area. Despite these conciliatory statements, tensions increased yet again on December 4 when Vietnamese state media criticized China for ratifying in the People's Congress a plan to create the Sansha administrative zone to manage the Paracels, Spratlys and the Macclesfield Banks. The zone has been given the status of a "county-level city" within Hainan Province with its administrative headquarters on Woody Island in the Paracels. Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung said, "This act violates Vietnam's sovereignty and is detrimental to the process of negotiations to find durable solutions to solve the maritime issues between the two countries." In reply, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang claimed China has "indisputable sovereignty" over the islands. Anger over China's decision had an unusual outlet in a rare public demonstration outside the Chinese embassy in Hanoi on December 9th by several hundred Vietnamese. Another demonstration was held outside the Chinese consulate in Ho Chi Minh City. Government spokesman Le Dung announced that the demonstrations were spontaneous and not government orchestrated, but some observers were skeptical. They noted that protestors had placards with slogans and T-shirts emblazoned with maps of the Spratlys already made up. In addition the demonstrations were allowed to form and continue for over an hour before being quietly dispersed. Cyberspace filled up with Chinese and Vietnamese bloggers airing nationalistic views and slamming each other over conspiracies to steal energy. The air seemed to clear during the second China-Vietnam Steering Committee on Cooperation meeting on January 22-26 in Beijing. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said on January 24 that both countries "agreed to solve disputes through negotiations and safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea," although this does seem at odds with Jiang’s statement of China's "indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea Islands and the adjoining waters." This seems to put China back on track with its previous attempts to downplay its claims to the islands in preference to building up ties between itself and Asean nations, often stressing the need to jointly exploit the resources in the area. The perceived large undersea oil and gas deposits are a major issue for Vietnam and China, both of which need the energy to support rapidly growing economies with resultant rapidly escalating domestic energy needs. The size of the deposits has not been verified but the US Department of Energy estimates that 83,000 barrels per day of oil and gas are available from the fields around the Spratlys. China claims there are 25 billion barrels of hydrocarbons in the area, of which 70 percent is natural gas. The complaint over the PetroVietnam-BP-ConocoPhillips project was not the only one China made in 2007. On November 22nd, Beijing made a diplomatic protest to India over state-controlled ONGC Videsh Ltd.'s exploration operations near the Spratlys. ONGC Videsh signed product-sharing contracts with Vietnam for 80 percent of its concession area in 2006 and has invested US$100 million in the project to date. China claims Vietnam's award of the concession is invalid. China has also put pressure on oil companies operating in China to stop surveying and drilling operations under concessions from the Vietnamese government. China also views control over the Spratlys as a way of projecting its power and influence into the area. In the US Defense Department's report to Congress, Military Power of the People's Republic of China 2007, it noted that the Spratlys and Paracels are envisioned as part of China's defense plan to keep hostile naval forces away from the coast. A runway on Woody Island in the Paracels was extended in the 1990s to 2,600 meters. In addition gun emplacements, a signals intelligence station and Silkworm anti-ship cruise missile installations have all been reported in the Paracels. The possibility of this sort of militarization by China in the Spratlys is of real concern to regional military security planners and in Washington due to the ability of China to then command the sea lanes. China has shown a willingness to use its naval forces to pursue national security interests according to military analysts, especially when it involves sovereignty and territorial issues. The Chinese navy has increasing focused on a goal of attaining the means to project power across its sea lines of communication and to protect its oceanic commerce. In a talk given at the US-based Asia Society on January 28th, Admiral Timothy Keating, head of US armed forces in the Asia-Pacific said the US has "intelligence that reinforces my opinion that China is developing, fielding and has in place weapons that could be characterized as having, amongst perhaps other purposes, an ability to restrict movement in and around certain areas on the sea, in the air or under the sea." China's move to occupy Mischief Reef in 1998 and 1999 while the Asean nations were preoccupied with the 1997 financial crisis gave some credence to this fear. The reef is well within the eastern part of the Spratlys, which was seen as the Philippines zone of control. While China claims there are only shelters for fishermen on the island, the reality are permanent concrete structures with antiaircraft guns and landing platforms for helicopters. For the Asean nations, some fear of China's intentions were assuaged in November 2002 when Asean and China signed the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea to resolve disputes in the region peacefully through diplomatic means. The Declaration, while displaying good intent, is non-binding and this fragile. As the events of 2007 between Vietnam and China show, there is still much maneuvering for advantage going on in the area. The agreement relies largely on the signatories allowing regional concerns to take precedence over their own national interests, something which to date they have largely shown a disinclination to do. The ten points in the agreement remain inadequately defined and rely largely on bilateral discussions to settle disputes. One outcome of the declaration has been the establishment of a joint seismic exploration program through the national oil companies of China, Vietnam and the Philippines - China National Offshore Oil Corporation, PetroVietnam and the Philippine National Oil Company - in one area of the eastern Spratlys. Other plans, such as the proposed Pan-Tonkin Gulf Regional Economic Cooperation scheme, are in the works. An offshoot of the Asean-China Free Trade Agreement signed in 2004, the idea was floated in 2006 and has reportedly received the support of high level Chinese leadership. Pushed by the Guangxi Autonomous region in Southeastern China, the scheme would like to see greater integration between the economies China and the ASEAN nations bordering the South China Sea, and the Gulf of Tonkin in particular. The stumbling block is the territorial disputes over the Spratlys which would have to be solved before the plan could effectively go ahead. Taiwan, however, is not a signatory to the 2002 Asean-China declaration. The February 2 visit by Chen, the first by a Taiwanese leader, can only be seen as a move to underscore Taiwan's claim to the Spratlys. The recently-completed airstrip had already been the subject of protests by Vietnam and the Philippines. The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense claims the runway is only for maritime search and rescue. Observers say the airstrip is a way for Taiwan to show it is a member of the international community as well as a way to stamp a further claim on the islands. Vietnam first protested the construction of the runway which was begun in mid-2006. After a test flight to the newly completed airstrip in January and plans leaked about the possible presidential visit, representatives from Vietnam and the Philippines in Taipei expressed concerns to the Taiwanese government on January 30th. Vietnam's Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung had much stronger words: "Taiwan has to take full responsibility for any consequence by this action. Vietnam considers the action a serious escalation that violated Vietnam's territorial sovereignty in regard to the Truong Sa [Spratly] archipelago and increased tension as well as complication in the region. Vietnam demands Taiwan put an immediate end to such violations in the region." In a presidential statement Chen called for a "Spratlys Initiative" to find a peaceful solution to disputed claims and promote marine conservation. Chen was quoted in the statement as saying, "Facing complicated and sensitive territorial and sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea, Taiwan urges the countries involved to peacefully resolve the issues." His visit, however, has only caused the opposite and served to further heighten tensions in the region. © 2007 AsiaSentinel.com.

Taiwan leader visits disputed Spratly islands
Taipei - Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian on Saturday visited the Spratly islands, the defence ministry said, in a move aimed at underscoring Taipei's claim to the disputed group but which will likely spark tensions in the region. Soon after his arrival at Taiping islet, the president oversaw the opening ceremony of a newly-built runway, the ministry's news agency said on its website. It added that Chen, the first Taiwanese leader to visit the Spratlys, was "warmly welcomed" by troops stationed there after arriving at 10:32am (0232 GMT). Speaking at the ceremony, Chen proposed a "Spratly Initiative" calling for a peaceful solution to the disputed claims of the group and promoting marine conservation in the region, a presidential statement said. "Facing the complicated and sensitive territorial and sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea, Taiwan urges the countries involved to peacefully resolve the issues" according to international regulations, the statement quoted Chen as saying. Chen left Taipei early Saturday on his presidential jet to a base in Taiwan's south where he took an air force C-130 transport plane to the Spratlys. He spent several hours in Taiping, the biggest island in group, to inspect troops before the Lunar New Year on February 7. Defence Minister Lee Tien-yu and Interior Minister Lee Yi-yang accompanied the president. Vietnam has strongly criticised Chen's visit to the Spratly Islands, in a statement reported by state media Sunday. "Taiwan has to take full responsibility for any consequence caused by this action," said foreign ministry spokesman Le Dung in reaction to Chen's visit to Taiping, the largest island in the group. "Vietnam considers the action a serious escalation that violated Vietnam's territorial sovereignty in regard to the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago and increased tension as well as complication in the region." Dung reiterated that Vietnam possesses strong historic evidence and legal grounds to confirm its sovereignty over the Spratly and Paracel archipelagos. "Vietnam demands Taiwan put an immediate end to such violations in the region," Dung said in a statement carried by the Vietnam News Agency. The visit is sure to also irk China, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines who claim all or part of the potentially oil-rich islets in the South China Sea. The Philippines on Saturday expressed "serious concern" over Chen's trip and warned it could affect relative peace in the area. "The Philippines, therefore, urges all parties concerned to exercise prudence, self-restraint and use diplomacy as the toll to settle disputes," Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo said. Taiwanese media have said the visit was aimed at drumming up support for Frank Hsieh, the candidate for Chen's independence-leaning ruling Democratic Progressive Party in the March 22 presidential election. Hsieh is locked in a heated race with the opposition Kuomintang's Ma Ying-jeou to succeed Chen, who is to retire in May after eight years in office. Taiwan's defence ministry completed construction of the 1,150-metre-long (3,800-feet) runway on fortified Taiping in December, despite opposition from Vietnam. © 2008 AFP.

Taiwan president visits disputed Spratly Islands by Baker Li, Lee Chyen Yee and Ralph Jennings
Taipei - Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian set out for a landmark visit to the disputed Spratly Islands on Saturday to assert a territorial claim in a move likely to upset China, Vietnam and other nations. Chen's decision to visit the Spratlys was to assert Taiwan's sovereignty, a card that the ruling party had been using to try and woo voters ahead of the presidential elections on March 22. During the March election, a referendum will also be held to ask voters whether Taiwan should join the United Nations under the name "Taiwan". Chen, dogged by criticism that he accomplished too little as his eight-year term winds down, flew in a military aircraft to Taiping Island in the Spratlys, to visit a recently completed airstrip for maritime rescue work, military sources said. "The president will be there around noon today," said an official at Taiwan's defense ministry. He declined to give further details. Analysts said Chen was making the visit for several reasons. "He wants to tell the Taiwan people that he's still in control. It is also a strong signal to assert Taiwan's sovereignty ahead of the U.N. referendum," said Andrew Yang, a political analyst at the Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies. The 1,150-metre (3,770-ft) airstrip completed in late January will supplement Taiwan coastguard and military facilities on Taiping, which is the biggest in the Spratly chain at 489,500 square meters (120 acres) and 1,000 km south of Taiwan. "He's going to show he's the president, for face, that's the most obvious," said Su Chi, a defense specialist with the Nationalist Party (KMT). "Whether this will lead to more conflict isn't certain." The Spratly Islands, a string of rocky outcrops in the South China Sea possibly holding large oil and gas deposits, are also claimed by neighboring Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines. Last year, the southern Taiwan city of Kaohsiung established a green turtle reserve on Taiping in a bid to stop hunting. Vietnam has protested to Taiwan twice in the last two months as airstrip construction progressed. © Reuters 2008.

Taiwan's Chen visits Itu Aba in disputed Spratly Islands
Taipei - President Chen Shui-bian on Saturday visited Itu Aba Island in the disputed Spratly Island chain in the South China Sea, marking the first visit by a Taiwan president to Itu Aba, which is under the effective control of Taiwan, the presidential office said. Chen left on a C-130 military transport aircraft for Itu Aba, the largest of the Spratlys, from southern Taiwan early in the day and arrived there three and a half hours later. Defense Minister Lee Tien-yu and government officials accompanied him. After arriving on the island, Chen attended a ceremony to inaugurate a runway and visited Taiwanese troops stationed there. The 1,150-meter runway on the isle was completed at the end of last year, and Taiwan military transport planes have started arriving and leaving since late last month. The Spratly Islands are a group of 100 reefs and islets boasting rich fishing grounds and possibly abundant fossil fuel deposits. Itu Aba is located about 1,600 kilometers southwest of Taiwan. Besides Taiwan, the islets are claimed by China, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and the Philippines and are the cause of some international disputes. Chen's visit to the island came after local media recently reported he was planning to visit one of the disputed islands in the near future on a C-130 to assert Taiwan's sovereignty in the region. © 2008 The Associated Press.