A statement to this effect was made by a spokesperson for the World Wildlife Fund, who said the damaged reef site is one of the most valuable in the biologically diverse ecosystems of the Coral Triangle in Southeast Asia.

Bad weather is preventing the vessel’s crew from extracting it.

Coral reefs off the Philippine coast have been damaged by ships before.

In 2005, the environmental group Greenpeace was fined $7,000 after its flagship struck a reef in the same area.

Voice of Russia, RIA