VietNamNet Bridge – A lot of people in Mekong River Delta spend billions of dong to build the “castles” to attract salanganes, raising the worries about the environment pollution and bird flu breakout.

A series of castles have been built in Dong Hai district of Bac Lieu province to home salanganes, the birds which people believe will help them make fortunes.

The “castles” are located close to each other, from which one can hear the birds’ sounds from the cassettes running all day long to attract salanganes.

An official of the Dong Hai district People’s Committee said the majority of the salangane breeders are from other localities. They lease land there and set up houses for salanganes.

Also according to the official, most of the investors have just collected guano for sale, while none of them has found salanganes’ nests, which can be sold for very high prices.

Local residents said there are some 20 “salangane centers” in Dong Hai town. Meanwhile, the local authorities refused to confirm the figure, saying that the salangane breeders did not register with the local authorities as requested.

A lot of salanganes’ houses have also been arisen in other localities, including Bac Lieu City of Bac Lieu province and Can Tho City, where people complain that they are living in substandard environment polluted with terrible noise.

Tran Thanh Tam, a parent whose daughter goes to the Huynh Thuc Khang Secondary School in Ninh Kieu district, complained that a newly built bird center has been set up behind the school, which produces deafening sounds all day long, thus affecting the students’ study.

Local people feel insecure also because of the fear for the returning of the bird flu epidemics.

According to Nguyen Huu Vinh, a resident in Ganh Hao town, most of the salangane breeders collect guano for sale. As the guano does not go through any preliminary treatment process, it is highly possible that the bird flu would return.

Meanwhile, Tran Van Hoang, another resident, feels secure about the feathers scattered everywhere in the town. The birds’ feathers and guano would drop into families’ water wells if Hoang forgets to cover them.

“They carry germs,” Hoang explained.

Under the current regulation set by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MONRE), since September 6, 2013, salangane breeders have to inform about the breeding to the local competent agencies.

However, only a few people have registered with the agencies so far. Therefore, the breeding remains uncontrollable, while it is difficult to draw up preventive measures.

The poultry deaths with no clear reasons have been reported recently in the provinces of Soc Trang, Hau Giang, Bac Lieu, VInh Long Tra Vinh and Can Tho City.

In Cai Rang district of Can Tho City, some households reported the death of all the poultries of the same flocks.

Thousands of salanganes died in the first half of 2013 in Ninh Thuan province alone. Health experts then warned of the high risk of possible A/H5N1 transmission from salagane to humans.

NLD