LGU offers reward vs giant clam poachers

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December 29, 2025 | 12:00am

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Poachers entered a giant clam reservation in Cadiz City in Negros Occidental and extracted 33 bivalves, leaving their shells empty on Christmas Day, Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr. reported.

The extracted mollusks were part of the 2,400 giant clams being grown inside a 9.2-hectare reservation the community calls the GC Ville near Lakawon Island in Barangay Cadiz Viejo.

The clam species include Tridacna squamosa, Tridacna crosea, Hippopus hippopus and Tridacna maxima.

Escalante said the poachers took the 33 clams out of the area, shucked the meat out and left the empty shells behind.

“You gave us the hardest lesson. We will give you the hardest retribution,” Escalante said as he warned people against poaching.

He said the city government is offering P20,000 as reward to anyone who could provide information about the incident and identify the poachers.

To prevent a repeat of the incident, Escalante said the city government is imposing strict security measures around the area and has tasked its Bantay Dagat personnel to guard the reservation.

Under the Philippine Fisheries Code, people found guilty of poaching or “killing” any protected marine species can be jailed and fined from P300,000 to P3 million.