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Qingdao raises alert level to fight algae bloom

By Ju Chuanjiang and Yuan Hao (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-06-13 21:26

Qingdao, Shandong: East China's Qingdao city raised the alert for algae bloom from level 4 (blue) to level 3 (yellow) on June 12, 2009.

The city’s emergency headquarters for tackling the green algae has held the third meeting for an overall arrangement for the bloom.

The preparatory work has been well done for the outbreak of algae.

According to the latest observation from the North China Sea branch of the State Oceanic Administration (SOA), the algae gathering is flowing northwards from the central and south regions of the Yellow Sea, with the shortest distance of about 123 kilometers off the Dagong Island.

The coverage of the gathering is about 58 square kilometers and the distribution is about 8,100 square meters. There is an obvious increase in both expansion and density.

Based on the satellite remote observation of the route of the algae flow and the forecasting of the wind direction of Qingdao in June, the green algae is estimated to flow northwards and approach the Qingdao sea area.

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All emergency work should be done according to the level 3 alert, according to the emergency headquarters.

“We should eliminate the green algae for the city image and the security of production and livelihood of people,”said Yan Qijun, member of the Standing Committee of the Shandong CPC (Communist Party of China) Committee, and Party secretary of Qingdao.

Xia Geng, mayor of Qingdao, ordered the emergency headquarters to perform in combat-ready state.

On the one hand, it is necessary to make consistent monitoring and get prepared for the algae bloom. On the other hand, it is needed to remove the seaweed when they are in large gathering and may threaten the area to the south of the Dagong Island. By doing so, the algae proliferation will be controlled and the pressure of clean-up in the offing alleviated.