MANILA, Philippines —Philippine authorities have seized illegally harvested giant clam shells worth $3.3 million as smugglers turn to the endangered creatures as a substitute for the illicit ivory trade.
In one of the biggest operations of its kind in the country, 80 tons of the tropical species were discovered in a village on a remote island in the western archipelago of Palawan, officials said Friday.
The Philippines is home to most of the world’s giant tropical clam species, which are considered threatened in the country as poaching surges.
Conservationists say their shells are used as an alternative material for products ranging from earrings to chandeliers as ivory be…
Keep on reading: Giant clam shells worth $3.3 million seized in Palawan raid