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. |
Chinese military spokesperson answers media questions during annual legislative sessionChina unveils plan on equipment renewal, tradingWith 'functional' beverages, brands push drinks that do more than taste goodAt least five injured in ballistic missile attack on Ukrainian capitalLiverpool falls silent to mark 35th anniversary of Hillsborough disaster: NinetyPache's single, Harper's catch in 10th inning lift Phillies past RockiesThe proof going vegan ISN'T better for you? Study finds plantIsrael confirms killing of Hamas' deputy military commanderRussia detains 3 more suspects involved in Moscow terror attackChina's Q1 foreign trade surge signals economic upturn