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
Ohio judge to rule Monday on whether the state’s abortion ban stands
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A county judge could rule as early as Monday on Ohio’s law banning virtually a2024-05-21I'm from Texas and live in the UK, these are all the weird things I've found about British people
An American woman living in the UK has revealed all the 'weird' things about British life - includin2024-05-21London restaurant transforms into Charlie and the Chocolate factory
The disastrous Willy Wonka experience in Glasgow made national headlines, and became subject to true2024-05-21Could this be an answer to YOUR blemish
The skin isn't just your body's largest organ, it's also the most visible. This makes any breakouts2024-05-21Justin Timberlake set to bring his The Forget Tomorrow World Tour to Australia in 2025
Justin Timberlake is set to bring his The Forget Tomorrow World Tour to Australia next year.Daily Ma2024-05-21Giant screen falls on stage during concert by Hong Kong boy band Mirror, two performers injured
One of the two dancers injured during a concert by popular Hong Kong boy band Mirror on Thursday nig2024-05-21
atest comment