Alleged return of Chinese clam harvesting fleet in South China Sea being verified: Lorenzana

May 21, 2019

The Philippines is verifying the reported return of a Chinese clam harvesting fleet in the West Philippine Sea.

“We are verifying the veracity of this report,”Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told Daily Manila Shimbun in a message on Tuesday.

This is the response of Lorenzana to the report of  Asian Maritime Transparency Initiatives (AMTI).

The report, which was published on Monday, said  “after a sharp drop-off in activity from 2016 to late 2018, Chinese clam harvesting fleets have returned to the South China Sea in force over the last six months.”

It said “these fleets, which typically include dozens of small fishing vessels accompanied by a handful of larger “motherships,” destroy vast swaths of coral reef in order to extract endangered giant clams.”

“The clam shells are transported back to Hainan Province where they fetch thousands of dollars each in a thriving market for jewelry and statuary,” the report added.

Based on satellite imagery, Chinese fleets were frequently operating at “Scarborough Shoal and throughout the Paracels, including at Bombay Reef” since late last year. Robina Asido/DMS