FISHERIES - Reports from early January suggest that small pelagic fish stocks along the West coast of South American (species such as anchovy and sardine that live at or near the surface of the open ocean) are continuing to show signs of slight recovery in some areas following the adverse effects of the 1997/1998 El Niņo. However, the relatively low quality of fishmeal being produced implies that non-traditional species are being used to produce fishmeal or that the pelagics being caught are in poor condition due to environmental conditions. The 1998 cumulative landings of small pelagics in Peru were 3,686,705 metric tons compared to 6,975,137 in 1997 and over 8,600,000 in 1996. Northern Chile small pelagic landings remained extremely low (in large part due to fishing restrictions). The extremely low landings in this region continue to aggravate unemployment and social hardships among fishermen, fishmeal plant and cannery workers, and in associated industries. A recent decline in fishmeal prices is exacerbating the negative conditions.

CLIMATE AND HEALTH - According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) the hurricane Mitch related damage to health services in Central America presents a "risk of a reappearance of outbreaks of infectious diseases in Central America, whether caused by the damage in some countries to the water and basic health services, limited access especially in rural areas, or the risks from crowded shelters ...".  Nicaragua and Honduras, in particular, were hard hit by Mitch.  PAHO was concerned about water-borne diseases, leptospirosis, dengue, malaria, but most concerned about cholera.

HAZARDS/THREATS - Extremely cold weather dominated  Eastern Europe through most of the month resulting in over a hundred deaths in Poland due to exposure.  Belarus, Ukraine and Russia also suffered losses due to the cold.
    - Typhoon Faith was the latest in a series of tropical storms to hit the Philippines. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent estimate that typhoons have affected at least 5 million people in the Philippines this season.
    - Extremely dry conditions in Patagonia were responsible for the loss of 3,000 acres of forest in Argentina.
    - Dry conditions in Honduras were beneficial to recovery efforts following the severe flooding associated with Hurricane Mitch..

AGRICULTURE - Despite extreme cold conditions in Belarus and Ukraine winter grains remained protected by persistent snow cover.  In southern and central Spain the cold and dry Southern European conditions have kept winter grains development in dormancy.
    - Dry conditions in Morocco have hampered the emergence of winter winter grain.
    - Generally dry conditions in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil and in central Argentina were unfavorable for summer crops but scattered showers provided some relief to the area.