VietNamNet Bridge – Fish farmers in central Quang Ngai Province are concerned about thousands of dead fish, which are polluting a local lake.

Dead dish wash up in a drain near Ho Chuoi Lake in the central province of Quang Ngai. Locals said thousands of fish died after heavy rainfall last Friday. — VNA/VNS Photo Phuoc Ngoc

A foul smell emanated from the dead fish, which were covered by flies in Ho Chuoi Lake in Binh Son District’s Bình Trung Commune, the Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reported.

Pham Tan Thanh, a resident, told the newspaper that poultry (chickens and ducks) belonging to locals died after eating the dead fish that washed up ashore near their residential areas.

Mass fish deaths have occurred a few times in recent years, but not in such high numbers as this time, another resident told the newspaper .

Resident Cu Van Hung said the fish started dying after heavy rainfall last Friday. “It’s strange,” he said.

Fish farmer Do Thi Van who is raising some 20,000 carp, grass carp and tench fish at home, said she lost some 100kg of fish per day, which resulted in financial loses of millions of dong.

“The polluted water flowed from the lake into my pond so fast, I didn’t know how to prevent it,” she said.

Trinh Phu Dinh, chairman of the People’s Committee of Binh Trung Commune, said commune authorities are investigating the incident.

Nguyen Quang Trung, vice chairman of the People’s Committee of Binh Son District, said district authorities are also inspecting the lake and investigating the cause of the fish deaths.

VNS