China urged to save coral reefs in Asian waters amid booming illegal trade in giant clams

The clams are highly sought after by China’s jewellery carving industry as a result of curbs on ivory trading

Marine scientists are calling for China to take part in joint efforts to survey the reef damage in mostly contested waters

Reading Time:3 minutes

Philippine coastguard personnel inspecting seized giant clam shells in Roxas town, Palawan province on April 16, 2021. Photo: AFP

Published: 4:30pm, 14 Mar 2024

China’s thriving black market for jewellery made from giant clams continues to drive the destruction of biodiverse coral reefs in Indonesian and Philippine waters as Chinese marine scientists are urged to participate in joint efforts to survey the damage in contested seas.

Over 20,000 acres of coral reefs have been destroyed mainly due to illegal demand for giant clams, according to a study by the US think-tank CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, which says they are bound for China where the shells are coveted as carved ornaments.

“These carvings of statues and jewellery are sold in the black market,” said Harrison Prétat, Deputy Director of CSIS, adding that the trade is centred in the southernmost Chinese island province of Hainan, on the north end of the South China Sea.

“It’s supposed to be illegal. Nevertheless, there’s been documented evidence of it happening.”

Coral reefs are crucial for biodiversity in the South China Sea, supporting a quarter of all marine species and in turn, providing livelihoods for millions of people through fishing.

In February, the Chinese embassy in the Philippines rebutted allegations of reef destruction, stressing that Beijing attaches great importance to environmental protection of the area they call Nansha Islands and its surrounding reefs and waters.