US alarm at Chinese boats’ sewage in South China Sea
Discharged effluent can be seen from space, claims US firm Simularity, which has been monitoring more than 200 Chinese fishing vessels anchored near the Spratly Islands.
- Effluent is visible from satellite images, says US firm Simularity, echoing ex-US navy captain’s warning that 2,000 tonnes of waste are discharged monthly
- The company has been monitoring more than 200 Chinese fishing vessels anchored for months in Philippine-claimed waters near the Spratly Islands
Satellite images show hundreds of Chinese fishing vessels anchored in disputed areas of the South China Sea are damaging coral reefs and sensitive marine ecosystems by pumping out tonnes of raw sewage, an American firm has claimed.
“When the ships don’t move, the poop piles up,” said Liz Derr, the CEO of Simularity, a firm that specialises in analysing satellite imagery and has been monitoring more than 200 Chinese fishing vessels anchored for months in Philippine-claimed waters near the Spratly Islands.