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
Mystery artist who erected signs comparing pothole
A defiant resident infuriated by the potholes in their road has taken revenge on the council by erec2024-05-21California cops, firefighters, and utility workers are earning up to $800k a year in overtime pay
Watchdogs have slammed California local government for spending billions in overtime pay – with poli2024-05-21- Kylie Jenner flaunted substantial cleavage while rocking out to Tems' 2020 song The Key in a mirror2024-05-21
Judge OKs phone surveys of jury pool for man charged in 4 University of Idaho student deaths
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Defense attorneys for a man charged in the deaths of four University of Idaho st2024-05-21Siblings trying to make US water polo teams for Paris Olympics
WALNUT, Calif. (AP) — Chase Dodd started swimming when he was just a kid. Once he began playing wate2024-05-21Tiger Woods FINALLY reveals the three stars joining his TGL team next year
With the TGL set to launch in January, Tiger Woods revealed who will be joining him in the four-man2024-05-21
atest comment