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.
Amtrak train hits pickup truck in upstate New York, 3 dead including child
Nottingham Forest cries foul play in inflammatory social
I'm an American and I tried a Tesco meal deal for the first time
South Africa's ANC loses another court case against rival party led by former president Zuma
Independent UN experts urge Yemen’s Houthis to free detained Baha'i followers
The US is expected to block aid to an Israeli military unit. What is Leahy law that it would cite?
Harmonious picture of human and nature in China's coastal city Xiamen
Oprah Winfrey, Dwayne Johnson give more than promised for Maui fire
Kevin Pillar gets 1,000th career hit in Angels' win at Texas
Election 2024: Biden and Trump bypassed the Commission on Presidential Debates
Chinese museums receive 73 mln visits during Spring Festival holiday