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Red tide plays havoc with fish farms

JAPAN

Friday, August 11, 2000

On 7 August, Kumamoto Prefectural Office lifted the warning on the red tide, which broke out in the Yatsushiro Sea on 7 July.

According to the Fisheries Promotion Section of the Prefectural Office, the value of marine products lost by the red tide amounted to \3,708,300,000, and the total number of affected fish, mostly farmed yellowtail, globefish and sea bream, was 2,618,000, the highest figure ever recorded.

Heavy damage was reported in Goshonoura and other parts of Kumamoto, which are the major aquaculture regions in Japan.

The red tide was found to be caused by Cochlodinium polykrikoides. It first appeared off Tsunaki on 7 July and then spread to various parts of the Yatsuhiro Sea.

A large amount of yellowtail, sea bream and globefish, which were being cultured in floating cages in acquaculture areas, were killed.

By Haruo Chiba