Black Sea returns to life

FOR the first time in 10 years Romania's Black Sea coastline has been flooded with thousands of shellfish - a sign it's getting cleaner, a marine official said.

The Black Sea is the world's largest marine "dead zone." It is heavily polluted by organic runoff from rivers which have robbed the sea of 90 per cent of its oxygen. The Black Sea Action Plan signed in 1996 by all six coastal nations promised improved sewage control, regional conservation strategies and a study into setting up a special environmental fund.

- AP, Bucharest