Green algae raging in China

Local authorities and residents of Qingdao City, Shandong Province (China) said they are taking all measures to eliminate the blue algae (green algae, whose scientific name is enteromorpha) that are bulging and raging at east coast of this country.

A boat stuck in green algae (Photo: Xinhua).

' Government officials, travel companies and coastal residents have begun cleaning up the blue algae after discovering it reached the Qingdao Sea last Friday ,' said Sun Hongbin, a manager. Ship rental business in Qingdao, said.

According to the China National Oceanographic Bureau, as of Monday, blue algae grow fast and cover an area of ​​about 400 km ² in the waters of Qingdao, it stinks and is offensive. for residents in this area.

The China Daily (China) newspaper said local authorities have mobilized 66 boats to clean algae, and also assigned 4 other ships to monitor the expansion of algae.

Local officials said the cleared green algae would be used as feed for livestock and buried for fertile agriculture.

' Due to the spread of blue-green algae, the number of tourists visiting Qingdao Beach has decreased from more than 5,000 people to a few hundred, ' Sun Hongbin said. ' An unfortunate young boy caught his eye in the blue algae last Saturday outside the coast of Qingdao and almost half the boy became a victim of algae ', Sun Hongbin worried.

Green algae form due to water pollution . Although blue algae are not toxic and do not affect water quality, it absorbs a large amount of oxygen, threatening marine life.

Zhao Peng, a border police officer on Xuejia Island, Qingdao said: 'In 2008, a large amount of similar blue algae arrived and killed many scallops, fish and abalone (abalones). ) causing great economic losses to local fishermen '.

Below are pictures showing everyone's efforts to clean up the giant blue algae at Qingdao Beach:

Workers are urgently cleaning green algae (Photo: CFP).

A diver is cleaning green algae (Photo: Xinhua).