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Toward Establishing a Spratly Islands International Marine Peace Park: Ecological Importance and Supportive Collaborative Activities with an Emphasis on the Role of Taiwan

2010; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 41; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/00908320.2010.499303

1521-0642

John McManus, Kwang‐Tsao Shao, Szu‐Yin Lin,

Marine Ecology and Invasive Species

Abstract The Spratly Islands constitute one of the earth's most ecologically significant areas, hosting a high diversity of marine species, providing critical habitats for endangered species, and providing marine larvae to reestablish depleted stocks among the heavily overfished and degraded coastal ecosystems of the South China Sea. Territorial disputes have led to the establishment of environmentally destructive, socially and economically costly military outposts on many of the islands. Given the rapid proliferation of international peace parks around the world, it is time to take positive steps toward the establishment of a Spratly Islands Marine Peace Park. Its purpose would be to manage the area's natural resources and alleviate regional tensions via a freeze on claims and claim supportive actions. Keywords: Coral Trianglemarine peace parkmarine protected areasSpratly Islands Notes 1. See, generally, T. W. Chao, Physical Geography of Nansha Islands, Report of the Multidisciplinary Oceanographic Expedition Team of Academia Sinica to the Nansha Islands (1996). 2. K. H. Chang, R. Q. Jan, and C. S. Hua, Fishes of Itu Aba Island in South China Sea (Taipei, Taiwan: Encyclopedia Sinica Inc., 1982). 3. K. H. Chang, R. Q. Jan, and C. S. Hua, "Scientific Note on Inshore Fishes at Tai-pin Island (South China Sea)," Bulletin of the Institute of Zoology, Academica Sinica 20 (1981): 87–93. 4. L. S. Fang and J. C. Lee, Terminal Report for Ecological Environmental Studies in South China Sea (Council of Agriculture, 1994), 471. 5. BirdLife International, "Truong Sa Proposed Marine Protected Area. Sourcebook of Existing and Proposed Protected Areas in Vietnam," 2001, available at www.biology.hcmuns.edu.vn/store/elib/pub/IBA/Cddata/source_book/sb_pdf/Truong_Sa.pdf (accessed 15 August, 2009). 6. I. 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