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.
Young Boys seals 6th Swiss soccer league title in 7 years after rallying from firing coach Wicky
Stephen Williams becomes first British rider to win the Flèche Wallonne. He tamed rivals and snow
Jontay Porter banned from NBA after gambling probe
How you CAN go on safari on a budget: From gorillas in Uganda to South African elephants
Justin Timberlake set to bring his The Forget Tomorrow World Tour to Australia in 2025
Man up for parole more than 2 decades after Dartmouth College professor stabbing deaths
Rookie Keaton Winn throws six solid innings. Giants beat Marlins 3
USA Basketball finalizing Paris Olympics roster, AP sources say
Amir Khan's £11.5m luxury wedding venue finally hosts its first marriage: Bride arrives on horse
Plumbing problem at Glen Canyon Dam brings new threat to Colorado River system