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.
US overdose deaths dropped in 2023, the first time since 2018
South Carolina lawmakers rekindle bill limiting how topics like race are taught
Rep. Greene and Speaker Johnson meet for a second day as possible vote on his ouster simmers
Murder trial opens in death of Detroit
Insider Q&A: CIA's chief technologist's cautious embrace of generative AI
Judge dismisses lawsuit by mother who said school hid teen's gender expression
Stormy Daniels admits she hates Trump: Porn star reads his posts calling her 'horseface' in court
Stormy Daniels admits she hates Trump: Porn star reads his posts calling her 'horseface' in court
‘The Blue Angels,’ filmed for IMAX, puts viewers in the ‘box’ with the elite flying squad
Judge dismisses lawsuit by mother who said school hid teen's gender expression
'Constantly learning' Imanaga off to impressive start with the Chicago Cubs
Atlanta to pay $3.8 million to family of church deacon who died in struggle with officer