Giant clam shells are seen outside a factory in the seaside town of Tanmen in China’s Hainan province May 10, 2016. Reuters
TANMEN, China – Ornaments made from the shells of endangered giant clams, renowned in China for having auspicious powers and the luster of ivory, have become coveted luxuries, a trend which has wreaked havoc on the ecosystem of the South China Sea.
China banned harvesting of giant clams last year but in the tiny seaside town Tanmen on the southern island of Hainan, most stores still sell products made from the over four-foot-wide shells.
The once sleepy fishing village has transformed over the past three years to harvest clams on an industrial scale. There are around 460 handicraft retailers, compared to 15 in 2012, with the industry now supporting around 100,000 people.
The price of giant clams has risen 40-fold over the past five years, while the plundering of the seabed has led to severe degradation of the reefs, scientists and academics said.

http://news.abs-cbn.com/global-filipino/world/06/28/16/south-china-sea-reefs-decimated-as-giant-clams-harvested-in-bulk