Philippines seizes illegally harvested giant clam shells worth $25m

Around 200 tonnes of illegally harvested giant clam shells worth nearly $25m have been seized in the Philippines 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.