Eleven seafood processing companies in the southern city of Vung Tau went on trial on December 22 when the city People’s Court returned a verdict forcing them to compensate VND13.2 billion (US$580,000) for discharging wastewater into Cha Va river damaging fish farming cages of 33 households.

 The People’s Court in Vung Tau city returned a verdict forcing 11 polluting seafood companies to pay local citizens VND13.2 billion in compensation for polluting Cha Va river and damaging fish farming cages on December 22 

In September last year, fish farming cages in the river, Long Son commune, Vung Tau city suffered massive fish deaths causing the households a total damage of over VND18 billion. 

Reports by the Natural Resources and Environment Institute under HCMC National University affirmed that fish had been killed because Cha Va river has been polluted with wastewater from 14 seafood processing companies in Tan Hai commune since 1998. 

The affected households demanded a compensation of VND14 billion from the 14 firms. Two of them had successfully negotiated with citizens while the remaining 12 disagreed with the demand so the case was brought to court. 

During hearings from December 14-16, households’ proposal to waive their claims to Thanh Dat Company was accepted by the jury board. 

The largest compensation which a company must pay is VND3.1 billion and the smallest is VND103 million. The largest amount which a household will receive is VND2.1 billion and the lowest is VND50 million.

SGGP