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.
Supreme Court declines to hear challenge to Maryland ban on rifles known as assault weapons
General specialist surgery trainees' job prospects appear faint, surgeons say
Premier House report recommends $33m refurbishment for 'dated' building
Lionel Messi tells Chinese fans no politics at play in his HK absence
Candice Swanepoel stuns in a form
Kyiv, Lviv under Russian air attack, Poland activates aircraft, officials say
Australian farm grows world's biggest blueberry
South China Sea news: Chinese media slams Australian warship at centre of sonar incident
Revealed: Brit tourist, 19, subjected to sex attack in Majorca 'was gang
Petrobras to install 11 new pre
Brazil replaces injured goalkeeper Ederson in Copa America squad
Cats, dogs and competitions at the Hong Kong Pet Show