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
Kevin Pillar gets 1,000th career hit in Angels' win at Texas
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kevin Pillar tucked a keepsake ball into his bag from his 1,000th career hit2024-05-21US regulator grounds Boeing MAX 9 indefinitely, flights cancelled
An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 plane sits at a gate at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on2024-05-21Person arrested after threat plunges Tauranga Hospital into five
Armed police at the hospital entrance stopping people. Photo: RNZ / Calvin Samuel2024-05-21Waitangi 2024: Thousands stand in unity to challenge government on Treaty principles
Protesters showed a united front at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf2024-05-21Pentagon vows to keep weapons moving to Ukraine as Kyiv faces a renewed assault by Russia
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin committed Monday to keeping U.S. weapons moving to2024-05-21Julian Assange too ill to attend as court hears of 'breathtaking' plot to poison him
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gestures from the window of a prison van as he is driven into South2024-05-21
atest comment