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. |
Shea Langeliers drives in careerFriends, former hostages praise Terry Anderson, AP reporter and philanthropist, at memorial serviceSabrina Carpenter shows off her toned frame in sizzling new campaign for Marc JacobsBette Midler reveals she regrets not SUING coScarlett Moffatt tells fans to 'embrace the boob gap' in swimsuitNorth West joins starry concert event of 'The Lion King' at Hollywood BowlFlexen and DeJong help the White Sox beat the Rays 4Twins top Mariners 6Kourtney Kardashian opens up about undergoing 'terrifying' fetal surgery during 'highPennsylvania will make the animal sedative xylazine a controlled substance