VietNamNet Bridge – On Thursday afternoon, November 21, the authorities surprised two large vessels in the act of discharging mud into the absolutely protected zone of the Ha Long Bay, the World Natural Heritage.

At 2pm, the joint inspection team of Quang Ninh province caught red-handed two ships coded HP 2338 and HP 3695 pouring mud in the Hon Bai Dong area, in the core zone of Ha Long Bay.

The two drivers, Le Cuong (born 1960) and Bui Van Duy (born 1971, both from Hai Phong) could not show the documents relating to people and vehicles for sludge disposal in the area.

According to the Ha Long Bay Management Board, the area where the mud was discharged is the core zone, which is strictly protected.

The total volume of mud discharged to the area is up to 300 m3.

According to the Management Board of Ha Long Bay, in the past few years, whenever the Cai Lan port dredges its passages, illegal sludge discharge to Ha Long Bay was detected.

The Cai Lan port authorities often hire private firms for the passage dredging so they do not manage the discharge of mud.

P. Hao