More than 1,500 tonnes of fish remain unsold in the central Quang Trị Province. – Photo vov.vn

Nguyen Van Huan, deputy head of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the unsold seafood was caught between March and August.

Of the 1,500 tonnes, 200 tonnes are now spoilt and will be destroyed. The Government is supporting seafood sellers by giving them 30 per cent of the product price to destroy the remaining 1,300 tonnes.

“The provincial People’s Committee has ordered that all toxic-infected seafood to be destroyed. The unsold products will be destroyed in the next two weeks,” Huan said.

So far the province has destroyed around 53 tonnes of toxic seafood. The contamination of seafood by Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation’s toxic spill has affected many businesses, especially stores selling frozen products as a huge amount of money has been spent on electricity for refrigeration.

Nguyen Van Nang, owner of Cua Viet Town-based Gai Nang seafood processing and business, said: “We have eight to 10 tonnes of fish unsold. I owe the bank a debt of both capital and interest.”

Nguyen Duc Chinh, Chairman of Quang Tri Province’s People’s Committee, said sealed products that are safe for consumption would be released for public use. Fishermen will receive compensation based on Government rules if their products have been affected by the toxic spill.

Compensation for unsold fish will be handed out before Tet (Lunar New Year), which falls in the end of January, Chinh said.

The first phase of compensation disbursement to farmers affected by mass fish deaths began in late October.

Quang Tri Province has handed out around VND202 billion (US$8.9 million) from the Government budget to owners of fishing boats and their employees.

Besides Quang Tri Province, fishermen in the central provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Thua Thien-Hue were also hit by mass fish deaths following the Formosa toxic sea spill.

VNS