Hong Kong's toxic "red tide" spreads
Pastor Dale Morgan
Hong Kong's toxic "red tide" spreads*
HONG KONG, June 10 (AFP) Jun 10, 2007
The huge blooms of algae affecting the waters around Hong Kong have
spread to a popular beach on the south of the island, authorities said
Sunday.
The government warned people not to swim off Stanley Beach after the
so-called red tide was spotted there.
The latest sighting takes the number of affected beaches to 15, and
local media said the latest outbreak was the biggest since 1998, when 90
percent of the city's farmed fish were wiped out.
Red tides are caused by the rapid multiplication of microscopic algae
which discolour the water.
Authorities said the latest outbreak was caused by a rare but non-toxic
form of algae, and no fish deaths had so far been reported.
Although the algae are not poisonous they can deprive fish of oxygen,
and authorities urged farmers to monitor the situation closely.
On Thursday, state media in China reported that a toxic red tide had
struck near Shenzhen, a booming city just across the border from Hong
Kong, prompting fears it could spread southwards.