A cold wave over the past few days has resulted in nearly five billion yuan, or about 700 million U.S. dollars, in losses for fisheries in southern China's Guangdong Province.

Chen Liangyao, deputy director of Guangdong Province's Ocean and Fishery Administration, told the Yangcheng Evening News that the cold wave has brought about the most devastating damage on the fish-breeding industry in the province's history.

Over two million mu, or 142000 hectares, of ponds were hit by the cold wave on Monday, causing a 410,000-ton loss in aquatic products valued at 5 billion yuan.

Chen noted that as the weather grows warmer, more dead fish will surface in the ponds and more fish with frozen wounds will die, revealing further losses.

The cold wave killed over 8.7 billion fingerlings of tilapia, South America white shrimp and mud carp, and around 30 percent of the fish fry of various sorts bred in tanks near sea coasts have been wiped out.

Although the province is partnering with other neighboring provinces to purchase fish fingerlings, there will be a possible fish shortage, and ensuing price increase, from April to June, the report says.

Earlier reports noted that the cold wave in February killed over 3,100 piglets and 500,000 fowl by the middle of the month, for economic losses of 3.86 million yuan.

In addition, 26,800 mu, or 1,787 hectares, of crops were hit by the cold wave, and flower transport to the North was blocked by inclement weather conditions. The government has allocated two million yuan to help farmers rehabilitate their operations.

(CRI February 27, 2008)