AGRICULTURE REPORT - Tsunami's Effect on Agriculture

AGRICULTURE REPORT - Tsunami¹'s Effect on Agriculture
By Mario Ritter

Broadcast: Tuesday, January 18, 2005

I'm Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Agriculture Report. Officials are seeking to ease fears in southern Asia about the safety of eating fish from the countries hit by tsunami waves. On Friday the Food and Agriculture Organization reported no evidence of an increase in seafood²-related diseases in the affected³ areas.

The F.A.O. advised against removing fish from the diet. Millions of people in those countries get most of their animal protein from fish.

But the United Nations agency did warn of concern that damaged wastewater systems might leak into fishing grounds or fish farms. This would create a risk of intestinal⁴ infections. The F.A.O. says the best advice is to eat only healthy looking fish or seafood that is fully⁵ cleaned and well cooked.

The agency also noted⁶ another risk from the huge undersea earthquake and waves on December twenty-sixth. Algae⁷ and heavy metals in the sea could increase to poisonous levels.

Red tides or large numbers of dead fish would signal extreme cases. The Food and Agriculture Organization says fishing areas would need to be closed. But it says current seasonal⁸ conditions make such events unlikely.

 
Boy tucks into tub of maize-based meal (2003 © WFP/Graciela Damiano)
The F.A.O. has estimated that two million people in twelve countries in southern Asia and eastern Africa will need food aid. Yet the extent of damage to food supplies may not be known for weeks.

Aceh and Northern Sumatra were the two Indonesian provinces most affected by the tsunami. They produce about ten percent of Indonesia's rice. The F.A.O. says the rice crop for harvest beginning in March had just been planted. It is not known how the crop will be affected.

Important rice growing areas of Sri Lanka were also hit hard by the waves. Planting for the main growing season had just been finished. The F.A.O. notes that Sri Lanka already had a limited food supply.

There was no serious damage to rice production in Thailand or India. Thailand exports more rice than any other nation.

In coastal⁹ areas of countries hit by the tsunami, many survivors¹⁰ are now out of work. The waves wrecked¹¹ not only thousands of fishing boats, but also fish cages used in fish farming, a growing industry. In some places in Sri Lanka, eighty percent of the fishing boats were destroyed or damaged. The director general of fisheries development says the industry is back to the level of the nineteen fifties.

This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Mario Ritter. I'm Gwen Outen.

1 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

2 seafood   

n.海产食品，海味，海鲜

参考例句：

• There's an excellent seafood restaurant near here.离这儿不远有家非常不错的海鲜馆。
• Shrimps are a popular type of seafood.小虾是比较普遍的一种海味。

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 intestinal   

adj.肠的；肠壁；肠道细菌

参考例句：

• A few other conditions are in high intestinal obstruction. 其它少数情况是高位肠梗阻。 来自辞典例句
• This complication has occasionally occurred following the use of intestinal antiseptics. 这种并发症偶而发生在使用肠道抗菌剂上。 来自辞典例句

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 algae   

n.水藻，海藻

参考例句：

• Most algae live in water.多数藻类生长在水中。
• Algae grow and spread quickly in the lake.湖中水藻滋蔓。

8 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

9 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

10 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

11 wrecked   

adj.失事的，遇难的

参考例句：

• the hulk of a wrecked ship 遇难轮船的残骸
• the salvage of the wrecked tanker 对失事油轮的打捞