Despite claims that fisheries were not affected, many fear the worst

BEIJING - Dead seaweed and rotting fish in the water around Nanhuangcheng Island in Shandong province, which is close to the site of a recent oil leak, suggest the local waters were polluted by the incident, say observers.

"The oil leak will definitely influence the fishing industry nearby but we must carry out further investigations to see if the oil leak is the direct reason for the dead seaweed and fish," said a representative from the fisheries association in Changdao county. The county administers Nanhuangcheng Island.