Tsunami media update 26 January 2005

Update: The frequency of media monitoring reports will be wound down as of next week, new schedule to be advised.

Note: This is a daily summary of media reports concerning damage to aquaculture, aquatic livelihoods of coastal communities and related issues, gathered for the purpose of preparing a regional assessment to aid medium- to long-term rehabilitation of affected areas. It is not intended as a comprehensive summary of media reports, nor is it a summary of general damage. The content does not necessarily reflect the views of the NACA organization.

Thailand

FAO to help Thai fishermen battered by tsunami

Under an agreement between Thailand and the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN will provide US$ 400,000 to assist Thai fishermen affected by the tsunami on 26 December. The FAO assistance will be offered to Thai farmers, especially fishermen, in the country's six southern coastal provinces which were devastated by the massive tidal waves, a senior agricultural official, Pinit Korsriporn told TNA. Under the agreement to be signed on Monday, the FAO will provide fishing equipment worth US$ 400,000 to nearly nine thousand farmers and fisherman. The assistance will available until the end of October, he said. In 2004, the FAO also extended assistance to help relieve those affected by the flooding problem in Sukhothai province. US officials are expected to visit Thailand soon to inspect the damage down by the massive tsunami waves, Mr. Pinit said. The US is also expected to use the FAO's information when it considers Thailand's requests to lower the anti-dumping duty (AD) imposed on Thai shrimps imports.

http://www.mcot.org/query.php?nid=35084

Source: ICSF; 1/24/2005 1:25 PM

Thai fishing industry urges government to inform that eating fish is safe

Thai fishery industry's operators today urged government agencies to inform the public that consuming fish is safe as it does not feed on corpses of tsunami victims. The request was made after the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently announced that there was no proof to suggest that fish stocks in Asian areas affected by last month's tsunamis had been contaminated, or that fish and seafood-borne illnesses had increased. The UN agency said it wanted to dispel widespread rumors in the tsunami-affected countries, where fish consumption is among the world's highest. Prasan Silpipat, President of The Thai Fishery Association, backed FAO's assessment, and that his association had confirmed many times that fish does not feed on corpses. The Department of Fisheries, the Ministry of Public Health and other related government agencies should get the disseminate the facts to the public, while a food safety campaign should also be organised nationwide,he insisted. Panisuan Chamnanvej, President of the Thai Frozen Food Association, said rumors on fish feeding on bodies of tsunami victims were absolutely incorrect. The private sector is seeking ways to assist the local fishery industry to prevent operators from terminating their businesses, and avoid shortage of raw materials to process seafoods for exports, said Paiboon Polsuwanna, an honorary advisor of the Thai Frozen Food Association. Three agencies under the Public Health Ministry, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Department of Medical Sciences and the Department of Health, earlier announced that tests had been conducted on seafood in the country's six tsunami-battered provinces and no contaminated heavy metals were found.

Source: ICSF; 1/24/2005

http://www.thailandoutlook.com/thailandoutlook1/top+menu/investor+news/Govt+urged+to+inform+that+eating+fish+is+safe.htm

Malaysia

Malaysian firm helps fishermen rebuild boats, lives

For the past week, Lingkaran Pengangkutan Integrasi Deras Sdn Bhd (Rapid KL) has not only stationed their technical team in Malaysia's tsunami-hit regions of Kuala Sungai Teriang and Kuala Sungai Muda to repair damaged boats and engines but also to employ the fishermen to assist in restoration works. Rapid KL's chief operating officer (rail) Ridza Abdoh Salleh said while the RM30 (US$8) daily wage came in handy, the fishermen could also benefit from the skills they acquired from assisting in repair works. "Our long-term plan is to help them learn the basic skills of boat and engine repairing so that they can do it themselves in the future. "At the same time, they can use the money they earn to buy daily groceries," he said, adding that another two teams have also been despatched to Penang and Kota Kuala Muda to give the same assistance. The company's technical team has turned the former fishermen's landing at Kuala Sungai Teriang here into a temporary workshop to repair the damaged engines while another site in Kuala Sungai Melaka is used to carry out repairs on the boats. The process is slow as the team has to wait for spare parts from suppliers. With thousands of fishermen in Malaysia and other countries affected by the tsunami, delivery is expected to take weeks or even months.

Source: ICSF; 1/24/2005

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Tuesday/National/NST32213238.txt/Article/indexb_html

Sri Lanka

Over 75% of Sri Lanka's fisherfolk affected by tsunami

Sri Lanka's fisheries industry, which contributes nearly 2.5% to the country's national income and 65% - 70% of the annual protein intake of the population, has suffered severe damage after the tsunami. The industry consists of about 30,000 fishing vessels of which 15,000 are non-mechanized boats. More than 75% of the fishing fleet had been damaged by the Tsunami tidal waves on 26th December 2004. This will reduce the fish production during 2005. Out of nearly 172,000 active fishermen, 80% had been affected and many thousands of their family members are missing or dead. This will make a strong impact on the next generation of fishermen. Other than active fishermen there are about 100,000 persons affected who are employed in the industry. The fisheries industry produce 300,000 tons of fish annually including production from inland fisheries. 10 out of 12 fishing harbours have been damaged due to this disaster including breakwaters, buildings machineries equipment etc. The estimated loss is about Rs. 1,700 mn (US$17.24 mn). The export of fish is not heavily affected since most of the supplies come from multiday boats which were not severally damaged. But the supply from other vessels will be limited for several months.

Source: ICSF; 1/24/2005

http://www.fisheriesdept.gov.lk/home.htm

India

Tsunami-hit fish vendors seek assistance

The first grievance day session drew a large number people, bringing to light damage and property loss many fish vendors suffered. M. Velu (43) of Kiliyanur, had gone to the seashore to buy fish on the fateful day. On noticing huge waves, he abandoned the bicycle and ran for life. He appealed to the Collector for financial assistance. There are at least half a dozen similar requests from vendors in Kiliyanur. M. Valli has had no income for the past one month. As the fish had become dearer ever since the tragedy, she could not make both ends meet. The Collector, Gagandeep Singh Bedi, said the petitions would be scrutinised case by case. A study would be conducted to find out the number of fish vendors affected, and in consultation with the Relief Commissioner, action would be taken.

Source: Financial Times Information; January 25, 2005

Tsunami to affect fishing sector in short run: SEAI

Visakhapatnam: Initial reports indicated that the export capability of the seafood industry may not have been seriously hit by the recent tsunami. However, later assessments have shown extensive damage to the sector, says a press release issued by the Seafood Exporters' Association of India (SEAI).

Many fishing hamlets have been wiped out and over 70,000 fishing vessels have been wrecked, most of them being uninsured. The fishermen have no other skills or means of livelihood and it will take a long time for them to resume their vocation. This situation will have "a telling effect on the seafood industry, undermining its shrimp and cephalopod exports in the short run".

The impact on aquaculture farms is 'equally devastating'. A large number of aqua farms near the coastline have been inundated, leaving a trail of destruction. The President of SEAI, Mr U.K. Viswanadha Raju says that most Indian aqua farms are owned and managed by small farmers, who do not have the strength to recover. The loss to the aquaculture sector extends to shrimp hatcheries, which will impact seed production.

Source: Financial Times Information; January 18, 2005

India pledges $600-mn aid package for tsunami victims

India's cabinet has set out a $600 million reconstruction package for areas on its coast hit by the tsunami. Nearly 40 percent of the funds will be used to buy boats and nets for the battered fishing communities of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Pondicherry. Tens of thousands of fishermen lost their livelihoods when the waves wrecked their boats. Most of the fishermen have not been out to sea since the disaster struck. The funds also will be used to repair and restore damaged fishing harbors and docks. The government also plans to build more than 150,000 houses for families whose homes were washed away by the waves. India's Finance Minister P. Chidambaram says the country's large economy will be able to generate sufficient funds to help the victims rebuild their lives and businesses. The government also soon plans to announce a rehabilitation and reconstruction package for the offshore Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which lie more than 1,200 kilometers east of the mainland and also were hit hard by the tsunami. The government has estimated the overall cost of reconstruction at nearly $2 billion. India has refused financial assistance from foreign governments, but says it may seek assistance from multilateral institutions such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank for reconstruction projects. Experts say the disaster will not cut India's expected economic growth of around seven-percent this year. But there are worries that the cost of tsunami reconstruction will make it difficult to cut a fiscal deficit that is running at nearly five-percent.

Source: ICSF; 1/24/2005 1:25 PM

http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-01-23-voa5.cfm

Indonesia

Jobs needed to halt social upheaval

Fishing boats lie broken on the streets. Rice fields have been ruined by salt water. Rubble is all that is left of many shops and offices. That story has been repeated along the coasts of Aceh province, where survivors now grapple with another crisis - finding a job. Officials fear social unrest if work is not created quickly. "People will be hungry. They will do anything for money." The International Labour Organisation said last week 600,000 people might have lost their livelihoods in Aceh and North Sumatra provinces. Creating new work must be a priority for farmers, fishermen and many who worked in devastated small businesses, it said. There is virtually no economic activity apart from markets and some shops that have opened. Very little reconstruction work has begun.

Source: The Advertiser; January 25, 2005 Tuesday

Tsunami's damage to Indonesia's environment cost $675 mn, says UN agency

Beyond the horrific loss of human life, the recent Indian Ocean tsunami extensively damaged Indonesia's coastal environment, causing $675 million in losses to natural habitats and important ecosystem functions, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reported today. In Aceh and North Sumatra, 25,000 hectares (ha) of mangroves, some 32,000 ha of previously existing coral reefs, and 120 ha of seegrass beds have been damaged, according to a new report which features key contributions from UNEP. The economic loss is valued at $118.2 million, $332.4 million and $2.3 million, respectively. "These latest findings from just one of the affected countries show that there have been significant consequences for the environment and for the livelihoods of local people as a result of the tsunami," said UNEP chief Klaus Toepfer. While acknowledging that the terrible human toll of the tsunami must be addressed first, he said, "the recovery and reconstruction process underway must also invest in the environmental capital of natural resources, the forests, mangroves and coral reefs that are nature's buffer to such disasters and their consequences." UNEP is currently working in the region in response to emerging needs caused by the disaster. Indonesia has asked the agency to establish an environmental crisis centre. Maldives has requested emergency waste management assistance and impact studies on coral reefs and livelihoods. Sri Lanka and Thailand are seeking UNEP's help in conducting environmental impact assessments.

Source: ICSF; 1/24/2005 9:03 AM

International

EU fast-tracks tariff breaks for tsunami-hit countries

The European Union will accelerate moves to lower trade tariffs on products from the world's poorest countries, including many hit by the Asian tsunami. The 25 EU governments have given their approval to a European Commission proposal to move up the planned reform of its tariff system to April 1, from July 1. Under the reformed trade preference rules, Sri Lanka, one of the hardest hit by the tsunami, will benefit "from duty free access to the EU for all its GSP products, including textiles" the European Commission said in a statement. "India, Indonesia and Thailand will benefit from improved market access conditions, in particular for fishery products.” Moves to accelerate its adoption still needs formal approval from the European Parliament and a final go-ahead from EU governments. The overhaul aims to bring EU trade rules in line with the World Trade Organization, which has called on the 25-nation bloc to reform its trade system. The plan would replace five separate trade tariff systems with three, including one that would offer more market access for up to 72,000 products from developing countries, providing they abide by international human rights, environment and labor standards..

Source: Associated Press; January 21, 2005 Friday

Shrimp group says tariffs will aid tsunami-hit Asia

In response to a plea by the World Trade Organization to ease trade barriers on countries struck by the tsunami in Asia, American shrimpers say recently won tariffs will actually help drive up prices in those countries. The Southern Shrimp Alliance, an eight-state group of U.S. fishermen and processors, has come out and said that tariffs on shrimp from Thailand and India will actually drive up prices back in those countries. It was argued that without duties U.S. importers would "be allowed to continue to demand low, dumped prices from these countries, depriving foreign shrimp farmers of the full, fair value of their shrimp." The group brought the antidumping case against six countries in all: Brazil, China, Ecuador, India, Thailand and Vietnam. The SSA says that between 2000 and last summer imports rose by 71 percent from those countries, but that prices dropped by 39 percent, resulting in a loss of $1.1 billion in profits for producers in those countries. Earlier this month the Bush administration imposed tariffs on the six countries' frozen shrimp exports. However, officials said they would review the cases of Thailand and India and possibly lift tariffs if it is determined that their shrimp industries were too badly hurt by the tsunami. Instead of lifting tariffs, the SSA is urging American importers to pay more for shrimp coming from tsunami-hit countries.