Copyright 1998 South China Morning Post Ltd.
South China Morning Post
April 1, 1998
SECTION: News; Pg. 6
LENGTH: 154 words
HEADLINE: Aid plea after $ 20m fish loss
BODY:
A group of 250 fish farmers is asking for government financial
aid to help them weather a red-tide disaster that has killed
hundreds of thousands of >fish in Tai Pang Wan in the past
two weeks.
The farmers have suffered a total loss of $ 20 million, with
about 327 tonnes of fish destroyed in five fish culture zones
in the northeast New Territories.
They blame a sudden change in the weather for the deaths.
The deaths began on March 19 and by yesterday nearly all the
fish in the five zones were dead, they said.
Most farmers had lost stock worth more than $ 700,000, with
some losing as much as $ 2 million.
The farmers yesterday met Agriculture and Fisheries Department
>officials to ask for ex-gratia payments from the Government's
emergency relief fund.
A department spokesman said the fish farmers could qualify
for up to $ 11,200 each depending on the size of their farm.
CINDY SUI
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
LOAD-DATE: April 1, 1998