The number of Chinese killed in marine disasters and the resulting economic losses dropped sharply last year to 124 casualties and 6.6 billion yuan (US$795.2 million) in losses, the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) said Friday.
SOA spokesman Wang Fei said that the numbers compared with the 10 billion yuan (US$1.2 billion) in economic losses and 401 people dead or missing in 2001.
A report on China's marine disasters in 2002 released by the SOA showed that coastal storms were the main cause of major ocean disasters last year. They led to direct economic losses of 6.31 billion yuan (US$760.2 million) and 30 casualties.
The report also showed that "red tides" of toxic algae hit China 79 times last year, twice more than that of 2001, affecting around 10,000 square km.
But due to the efforts of the SOA, including an all-scale "red tides" monitoring system and disaster prevention measures, economic losses caused by the phenomenon dropped to 23 million yuan (US$2.8 million) last year from the 1 billion yuan (US$120.5 million) in 2001, Wang said.
"Red tides" were the result of blooms of algae, which cause a reddish discoloration of coastal ocean waters. The "red tides" produce toxins that kill fish and contaminate shellfish.
Thirty-three ocean surges with over four-meter-high waves were reported last year, causing 250 million yuan (US$30.1 million) in losses and leaving 94 dead or missing, the report said.
In addition, six oil spills were reported in 2002, causing 4.6 million yuan (US$554,000) in economic losses.
(Xinhua News Agency January 10, 2003)
