Vietnam's government investigates mysterious fish deaths

 

 

Two ministries, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and the Ministry of Science and Technology, have provided updates on their investigation into the massive fish deaths along Vietnam's central coastal provinces early last month.

 

The Ministry of Planning and Investment has recommended to the Government five key actions.

 

Firstly, authorities in provinces where the incidents occurred should continue to oversee the collecting and treating of dead fish. Any activity relating to the trade, usage or processing of the dead fish should be banned.

 

Secondly, relevant agencies were urged to speed up studies to identify the cause of the incidents. The State budget should provide funding to hire foreign experts to join the investigation.

 

Thirdly, the Government must take drastic measures to address the aftermath including enforcing strict punishment on polluters, providing transparent information about the incident and its impact, as well as measures to help the fishing and seafood processing industries recover.

 

Fourthly, localities in affected areas should provide statistics on losses that fishermen suffered due to the incidents and submit them to the Prime Minister for timely governmental assistance. State bodies and local residents must regularly observe, detect and report unusual signs in the environment.

 

Fifthly, fishermen are urged to stop using seawater for breeding and to halt breeding until the causes of the mass fish deaths are identified.

 

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Science and Technology has announced that a national scientific council was established to examine the massive fish deaths.

 

Nearly 100 experts from more than 30 research institutes and universities nationwide are joining in to investigate the incident. Hundreds of samples of dead fish, water and other creatures have been taken since April 7 for testing.

 

Deputy general director of Vietnam Environment Administration Hoàng Văn Thức said that a group of overseas experts had also arrived in Vũng Áng Economic Zone in central Hà Tĩnh Province to investigate the massive fish deaths.

 

They will independently assess waste treatment of firms that release waste into sea in the provinces of Hà Tĩnh, Quảng Bình, Quảng Trị and Thừa Thiên Huế.

 

Their work will be independent from studies conducted by state agencies in Vietnam.

 

According to the Ministry, initial findings showed that the massive fish deaths in the four central coastal provinces from Hà Tĩnh to Thừa Thiên Huế were not related to disease, oil leaks, thermal shocks or other effects caused by earthquakes.

 

Biological and chemical causes are thought to be to blame.

 

Early last month, the incident killed thousands of fish and caused financial and environmental losses to fishermen and people living in the coastal provinces. Many Vietnamese have suspected pollution from a steel plant operated by a subsidiary of the Formosa Plastics Group to be the cause.

 

In a first meeting on April 27 between relevant ministries and scientists, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment told media that they had identified two possible causes for the massive fish deaths.

 

The first potential cause was the impact of poisonous chemical substances discharged from the mainland into the sea. The other was an abnormal natural phenomenon combined with human impacts, resulting in red tide.

 

Source: www.fis.com