Erica Reef

Erica Reef
Disputed atoll
Satellite image of Erica Reef by NASA.
Location within Spratly Islands
Other namesEnola Reef
Terumbu Siput (Malay)
Gabriela Silang Reef (Philippine English)
Bahura ng Gabriela Silang (Filipino)
Đá Én Ca (Vietnamese)
簸箕礁 Bòji Jiāo (Chinese)
Geography
LocationSouth China Sea
Coordinates8°6′0″N 114°8′37″E / 8.10000°N 114.14361°E / 8.10000; 114.14361
8°6′0″N 114°8′37″E / 8.10000°N 114.14361°E / 8.10000; 114.14361
ArchipelagoSpratly Islands
Administration
Sabah
Claimed by
 China
Sansha, Hainan
 Philippines
Kalayaan, Palawan
 Taiwan
MunicipalityCijin, Kaohsiung
 Vietnam
DistrictTrường Sa, Khánh Hòa

Erica Reef, also known as Terumbu Siput in Malay, Gabriela Silang Reef (Filipino: Bahura ng Gabriela Silang), Đá Én Ca in Vietnamese and Bòji Jiāo in Mandarin (Chinese: 簸箕礁) is an unbroken drying coral reef located in the southwest of the Dangerous Ground area of the South China Sea. It is part of the hotly contested Spratly Islands.

Description

Emily Reef lies 14 nautical miles (26 km; 16 mi) northeast of Mariveles Reef and about 20 nautical miles (37 km; 23 mi) west of the western part of Investigator Shoal.

It is elliptical in shape, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long by 1 mile (1.6 km) wide. As a drying reef, it encloses a shallow lagoon at low tide. At high tide, it is submerged, but a few rocks on the eastern end may remain above the water. The reef is unbroken (i.e. has no entrance), but the lagoon is probably accessible to boats at high tide. There is no anchorage.

Spartly Islands dispute

It is part of the Spratly Islands, various or all portions of which are claimed by no less than six countries:

Erica Reef itself is claimed by China, Taiwan, the Philippines and Vietnam.: 22 

Malaysia occupied Erica Reef and built on it a two-storey concrete building and a helipad on 24 April or in June: 22  1999 and maintained an offshore naval station called Station Sierra. The Philippines objected strongly, but China's response was subdued; it is worth noting that the Foreign Minister of Malaysia was in Beijing just before construction commenced.: 25 

Fishing

It is in one of the most productive areas in the region for skipjack and yellowfin tuna.

References

  1. ↑ "Erica Reef". Asia Maritime Transparancy Initiative, Center for Strategic and International Studies. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
  2. 1 2 Hancox, David; Prescott, Victor (1995). "A Geographical Description of the Spratly Islands and an Account of Hydrographic Surveys Amongst Those Islands" (PDF). p. 18. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
  3. ↑ "Sailing Directions: Dangerous Ground in the South China Sea 1951" (PDF). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Factbox-The South China Seas Disputed Maritime Borders". Reuters. 6 October 2010. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Sailing Directions for Western Shores of South China Sea". DefenSe Mapping Agency, United States Department of Defense. 1976. p. 87. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 China Sea Pilot (7th ed.). United Kingdom Hydrographic Office. 2004. p. 67. ISBN 9780707715018. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 Noel Mangaoang Novicio (2003). The South China Sea Dispute in Philippine Foreign Policy. Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, Nanyang Technological University. ISBN 9789810476113. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
  8. ↑ Lai Yew Meng; Kuik Cheng-Chwee; Amy Azuan Abdullah (December 2021). "Pulau Layang-Layang in Malaysia's South China Sea Policy: Sovereignty Meets Geopolitical Reality amid China–U.S. Rivalry". International Journal of China Studies. 12 (2): 190.
  9. ↑ Joshua Ho; Sam Bateman (15 February 2013). Maritime Challenges and Priorities in Asia: Implications for Regional Security. Routledge. pp. 74–. ISBN 978-1-136-29820-2.
  10. ↑ Mingjiang Li, ed. (2010). China's International Relations in Asia: East Asia responds to a rising China, Volume 4. Routledge. p. 202. ISBN 9780415484855. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
  11. ↑ Malaysian Fisheries Journal. Vol. 1. Fisheries Research Institute, Department of Fisheries, Malaysia. 2000. p. 139. Retrieved 13 November 2026.