Continuous Deterioration of E. China's Ocean Ecology: Survey

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, January 11, 2002

Continuous Deterioration of E. China's Ocean Ecology: Survey

The ecology of coastal waters around east China's Zhejiang province is constantly deteriorating, according to a survey issued by China's State Oceanic Administration. The deteriorating coastal waters and ocean should be attributed to excessive fishing, pollution by industrial waste water and the dumping of rubbish from some on-sea construction bases.

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Constant deterioration

The ecology of coastal waters around east China's Zhejiang province is constantly deteriorating, according to a survey issued by China's State Oceanic Administration.

The survey shows that no coastal water in this area is of "excellent quality". The nitrogen and phosphorus content far exceeds the country's standards.

The offshore ecological balance in this province has been destroyed and the traditional fishing industry almost paralyzed.

In addition, frequent outbreaks of red tide with organisms damaging or killing fish, have caused ongoing deterioration of the oceanic ecology in this coastal area.

According to statistics, from May to June 2000, there were seven red tide outbreaks, more occurrences than other coastal provinces in the country.

In May 2001 there were seven more red tides in the province. The most damaging affected 7,000 sq. km of the sea.

Severe pollution

Yu Guohui, a research fellow with the No. 2 Oceanic Institute of the State Oceanic Administration, said that the deteriorating coastal waters and ocean should be attributed to excessive fishing, pollution by industrial waste water and the dumping of rubbish from some on-sea construction bases.

He also pointed out that to improve the coastal ecological situation, the government should increase its monitoring of ocean waters, set up an oceanic disaster prevention system, tighten up the ocean protection laws and make people aware of the importance of ecological protection.

China's Ocean Ecology Damaged

More than eight billion tons of pollutants are released into China's coastal areas every year. In addition, geologists note that excessive reclamation of land from marshes has also damaged the ocean ecology and is yet another factor leading to the increasing occurrence of red tides.

Red Tide: Main factor to cause deterioration

A red tide is a dense population of aquatic microscopic organisms that breed in the abundance of salt in surface water. The micro-organisms appear in most of the world's waters and most are harmless. However, some single-cell organisms produce a poison that paralyzes and kills fish. These organisms may also suffocate the fish by consuming nearly all the oxygen in the water.

China's Ocean Development and Protection

In March 1996 the Fourth Session of China's Eighth National People's Congress adopted the Ninth Five-Year Plan (1996-2000) for National Economic and Social Development and Long-Term Program to the Year 2010, stating explicitly that the country will ``strengthen marine resources research, develop marine industries and protect the marine environment.'' This demonstrates that the Chinese people are willing, together with all other people in the world, to rationally develop and effectively protect the oceans, guaranteeing that it will make ever-greater contributions to the sustainable development of mankind. >>details

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