July 24, 2007

Aquaculture in Vietnam's Bac Lieu town in trouble

Coastal residents in Bac Lieu Sea say that aquatic life is the area is endangered as species such as shrimp and crab are dying en masse.

The cooperatives says that higher than normal mortality rates have been occurring for about one week particularly on Nha Mat ward in Bac Lieu town and Vinh Hau, a commune in Hoa Binh district.

The cooperatives also said that as much as 30 percent of aquatic animals have died affecting those livelihoods dependent on aquaculture.

Ngo Ba Bac, head of Bien Bac Cooperative in Bac Lieu town said if this continues, there would be no fish or seafood left.

According to initial investigations, the catastrophe is related to sewage water that is being discharged into the sea by water processing companies. The contamination is believed to have killed aquatic life and significantly damaged the water quality in the area.