MANILA, Philippines — Philippine authorities said Saturday they have seized some 200 tons of illegally harvested giant clam shells worth nearly P1.2 billion ($25 million) in one of the biggest known operations of its kind in the country.
Conservationists have expressed alarm over the surging illicit trade in the endangered creatures, which are used as a substitute for ivory following a global crackdown in the trade of elephant tusks.
The Philippines is home to most of the world’s giant tropical clam species, and Friday’s raid took place in the western province of Palawan, considered a poaching hotbed.
The coastguard said four suspects were arrested on the remote …
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