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.
Student fatally shot, suspect detained at Georgia's Kennesaw State University
Nelly Korda shoots 69 to put herself in position for a record
NCAA removes cap on official recruiting visits in basketball to deal with unlimited transfers
SAMANTHA BRICK: I'm a brilliant driver
Young Boys seals 6th Swiss soccer league title in 7 years after rallying from firing coach Wicky
Saints sign their top draft choice, offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga
New Biden administration rule aims to speed up asylum screening for limited group of migrants
Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie are returning to reality TV! Stars are teaming up for a new show
Why US Catholics are planning pilgrimages in communities across the nation
Ireland's Eurovision entry Bambie Thug slams organisers for making the singer remove pro
'The Apprentice,' about a young Donald Trump, premieres in Cannes
The REAL reason no one should have to pay for their prescriptions