Michael Glynn rested barefoot on the deck of his fishing boat at the dock here after unloading his catch, and talked about how an outbreak of disease 3,400 miles away had wrecked his livelihood.
Restaurants in Hong Kong, by far the biggest buyers of live Australian reef fish, halted their purchases four weeks ago when severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, prompted diners to stay home in large numbers. The restaurants have barely bought any since, and fish prices have collapsed.
''A lot of the guys have thrown their arms up and stopped'' fishing, said Mr. Glynn, who had to go out fishing anyway for three straight days and two nights on the Great Barrier Reef because he had just bought a house. ''The mortgage won't go away.''
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