Philippines blames China for loss of giant clams in disputed shoal and urges environmental inquiry
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines blamed Chinese fishermen on Monday for a massive loss of giant clams in a disputed shoal controlled by China’s coast guard in the South China Sea and urged an international inquiry into the amount of environmental damage in the area.
The Philippine coast guard presented surveillance photographs of Chinese fishermen harvesting large numbers of giant clams for a number of years in a lagoon at Scarborough Shoal, but said signs of such activities stopped in March 2019.
Parts of the surrounding coral appeared to be badly scarred, in what the coast guard said was apparently a futile search by the Chinese for more clams. The lagoon is a prominent fishing area which Filipinos call Bajo de Masinloc and the Chinese calll Huangyan Dao off the northwestern Philippines.
“Those were the last remaining giant clams that we saw in Bajo de Masinloc,” Philippine coast guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said at a news conference.
Related articles
- Cancer-stricken King Charles will be feeling fresh heartache after a former IRA commander confessed2024-05-21
Coalition parties down, opposition up in Taxpayers Union
Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly2024-05-21NY police to pay $17.5m over hijab mugshot row
By Max Matza for the BBCFile photo. Photo: Nicolas Economou / NurPhoto / AFP2024-05-21Fallen 'Crypto King' Sam Bankman
Sam Bankman-Fried (file image). Photo: ALEX WONG / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP2024-05-21Russian theater director and playwright go on trial over a play authorities say justifies terrorism
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A Russian court on Monday opened the trial of a theater director and a playw2024-05-21Roads crack, flights grounded as rare earthquake hits US east coast
By Kayla Epstein and Graeme Baker for BBC News in New York and WashingtonFirst responders arrive to2024-05-21
atest comment