Beyond the immediate destruction and death caused by the December 2004 Asian tsunami, the economical and environmental impacts are only beginning to be tabulated

Humanist, March-April, 2005 by Karen Ann Gajewski

* Beyond the immediate destruction and death caused by the December 2004 Asian tsunami, the economical and environmental impacts are only beginning to be tabulated. Among the industries most vital and most stricken are the region's fisheries. As much as 90 percent of the fishing market for the affected countries has been harmed dramatically and as many as 75 percent of their fishing vessels were either lost or damaged. Salt water also threatens all the affected areas, as fresh water resources, particularly of island nations, have been contaminated or ruined.

Karen Ann Gajewski is a freelance editor and an editorial consultant to the Humanist.