Marine disasters cause economic losses of 8 billion yuan in China in 2003

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, February 01, 2004

Marine disasters cause economic losses of 8 billion yuan in China in 2003

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Marine disasters led to direct economic losses of eight billion yuan (about 970 million US dollars) last year in China, up 22 percent over the same period last year, the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) said Saturday.

A report on China's marine disasters in 2003 released by the SOA showed that the disasters left 128 people dead or missing lastyear with the affected population at over 20 million.

The situation of marine disasters was normal last year and coastal storms are still the main cause of ocean disasters, according to the report. China's coastal area was hit by 14 stormsor super tidal waves, causing direct economic losses of 7.87 billion yuan (over 950 million US dollars) and leaving 25 people dead or missing.

The economic losses caused by ocean storms reached 5.04 billionyuan (some 610 million US dollars) in south China's Guangdong province alone.

The report also showed that "red tides" of toxic algae hit China 119 times last year, 40 times more than that of 2002, affecting a total of approximately 14,000 square km.

But owing to the prompt efforts of the SOA, red tide preventionand control brought economic gains worth 200 million yuan (some 24.2 million US dollars) in 2003. The number of red tide monitoring areas also increased from 10 in 2002 to 18 in 2003.

Thirty-eight ocean surges with over four-meter-high waves were reported last year, causing 110 million yuan (30 million US dollars) in losses and leaving 103 people dead or missing, the report said.

Meanwhile, last year, five oil well blowouts or oil ship overflows in China's coastal area caused economic losses of 16.7 million yuan (about 2 million US dollars).

China was one of the nations suffering the most serious ocean disasters in the world, said Wang Fei, a SOA spokesman. The annualreport would provide a sound basis for governments to make policies in ocean disaster prevention and control.

Source: Xinhua

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