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
Storms damage homes in Oklahoma and Kansas. But in Houston, most power is restored
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Fast-moving storms with strong winds, large hail and apparent tornadoes swept O2024-05-21China Encourages Integrating Intangible Cultural Heritage, Tourism
Contact Us HomeNewsHighlightACWF NewsSocietyWom2024-05-21Chinese people pay tributes to legendary ancestor
This photo taken on April 11, 2024 shows a view of a ceremony to worship the legendary ancestor Huan2024-05-21Primary School Catches National Attention for Performing 'Left Foot Dance'
Contact Us HomeNewsHighlightACWF NewsSocietyWom2024-05-21Independent UN experts urge Yemen’s Houthis to free detained Baha'i followers
CAIRO (AP) — Human rights experts working for the United Nations on Monday urged Yemen’s Houthi rebe2024-05-21Farmers in NW China's Qinghai Celebrate Start of Spring Farming
Contact Us HomeNewsHighlightACWF NewsSocietyWom2024-05-21
atest comment