Huangyan approved as nature reserve

The State Council, China's Cabinet, approved the establishment of the Huangyan Island National Nature Reserve on Tuesday.

In an official reply to the Ministry of Natural Resources, the State Council said that establishing the Huangyan Island National Nature Reserve serves as a crucial safeguard for preserving the diversity, stability and sustainability of the natural ecosystem of Huangyan Island.

It said that relevant departments and local authorities must strictly adhere to the Regulations on Nature Reserves and provisions regarding the establishment and management of protected areas, fulfill their ecological and environmental protection responsibilities, and strengthen organizational leadership and collaboration.

The departments are also required to establish a robust management framework, intensify supervision and law enforcement against illegal activities within the reserve, ensure the implementation of all management measures, and continuously enhance the construction and administration of the national nature reserve.

The Huangyan Island National Nature Reserve will cover 3,523.67 hectares in total, with a core zone of 1,242.55 hectares, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. The reserve's primary conservation target is the coral reef ecosystem.

Huangyan Island is administered by Sansha, a city in Hainan province that comprises many islands.

An inherent territory of China, Huangyan Island is located in the Zhongsha Islands of the South China Sea, has a circumference of around 55 kilometers and covers an area of about 150 square km, with its closest distance to Hainan Island being around 890 km.

In July last year, China published a report on the ecological environment of Huangyan Island based on an on-site investigation conducted from May to June 2024. The report indicated that the coral reef ecosystem of Huangyan Island has thrived despite the global coral bleaching crisis, with increasing coverage of live coral, enhanced species diversity and an exceptional marine environment.

However, another survey of the coral reef ecosystem of Ren'ai Reef in the South China Sea, conducted from April to June last year, found that the illegal grounding of a Philippine warship has caused fatal damage to the coral reef ecosystem, with the ship's long-term grounding significantly inhibiting the growth and recovery of coral in the surrounding areas.