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.
Investigators return to Long Island home of Gilgo Beach serial killing suspect
Futuristic scene of robots taking over backbreaking farm jobs on horizon
Prehistoric ruins dig into cave
China wins two shooting golds on Day 1 at Hangzhou Asiad
Mystery artist who erected signs comparing pothole
Maritime Silk Road art festival opens in Quanzhou
Futuristic scene of robots taking over backbreaking farm jobs on horizon
Siblings trying to make US water polo teams for Paris Olympics
Box office hit sparks boxing frenzy
Minnesota Uber and Lyft driver pay package beats deadline to win approval in Legislature
China beats Philippines at Asian Women's Volleyball Championship