BEIJING, April 18 (Reuters) - Fishermen in southern China's Guangdong province are desperately battling a "red tide" algae bloom that has started killing local fish after devastating the fishing industry in neighbouring Hong Kong, official media said on Saturday.
As of Thursday, the "red tide" had killed more than 350 tonnes of fish along the Guangdong coast, causing economic losses of more than 35 million yuan ($4.3 million), the China Daily said.
The Xinhua news agency said in an overnight report that the algae bloom had killed 150 tonnes of fish in the southern city of Shenzhen and 50 tonnes in Zhuhai. It had ravaged more than 133 hectares (328 acres) of shellfish grounds.
Losses to Shenzhen alone were put at 20 million yuan.
It was the worst instance of red tide in the province's history, Xinhua said.
The algae kills fish by invading their gills, suffocating them. Made up of microscopic organisms, the algae multiplies rapidly and turns swathes of sea a reddish brown.
"Fishermen are now fighting against the disaster day and night, trying to save fish by such measures as adding oxygen," Xinhua said.
"The provincial government has also sent experts to the disaster-hit areas to monitor changes of the red tide and try to resolve the crisis," it said.
But the China Daily said authorities were hampered in their efforts to track and combat the algae because of a shortage of funds.
The central government allocated just 700,000 yuan a year for environmental supervision in major aquaculture and fishing zones, the newspaper said.
The red tide had not yet spread to the provinces of Guangxi, Fujian, or the island province of Hainan, the newspaper quoted fisheries officials as saying.
Red tide normally occurred around Guangdong in May and June, Xinhua quoted officials from the provincial Department of Ocean and Aquatic Products as saying.
"This year, it quickly spread to a large sea area and lasted longer than previous years," Xinhua said. said.
Xinhua said there were signs the red tide had started decreasing in the Pearl River estuary where Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Zhuhai are situated.
In Hong Kong, the algae killed at least 1,500 tonnes of farmed fish over the past week, equal to half the entire amount produced in the territory's waters last year.
Hong Kong fish farmers estimate they have lost at least $32 million from the algae attack. However, the Hong Kong government's estimate of losses is less than one-third that figure.