Different parts of the world experience a variety of weather patterns. Some can be devastating. There is a warm air flow that tends to travel along the coast of South America. The air flow pushes itself away from the coast. This is called El Nino, Spanish for ¡°the child Jesus.¡± This weather pattern occurs during Christmas in the southern part of the globe.
El Nino brings bad times to the coastal cities. Flooding, mudslides, and landslides occur. The warm water from excessive rain has less oxygen and nutrients. Millions of different kinds of fish die. Thousands of bird varieties starve to death.
Many people remember that in 1973, the fish catch in Peru was only 15 percent of what it had been in previous years. It had decreased steadily over the years. Scientists said that the problem involved overfishing and El Nino.
The fishing industry in Peru has now recovered, but will not reach the high point that it once was. Overfishing and El Nino had nearly destroyed an important resource.