VietNamNet Bridge – While pollution along the central coast has not been solved, several similar cases of mass fish death have occurred in the central and southern region.

On May 5-7, tens of tons of fish bred by farmers in Lach Bang, Tinh Gia district, Thanh Hoa province died and the incident has no signs of stopping.

Fish breeder Nguyen Thi Tuyet Ngan, 33, said fish in her family cages began dying in large amount. She had to hire workers to fish them out.

"Not only big fish of 3-4 kg/each, also the baby fish died. The total loss is up to VND600-VND700 million ($30,000-$35,000)," Ngan said. The family is at risk of falling into debt because they borrowed capital from banks to invest in the fish cages.

The wastewater lake of the Hoa Binh sugercane company.

Le Van Huan, 44, said fish in his cages began dying on May 5. All of the fish are expensive species.

"I've invested more than VND1 billion ($50,000) in the fish cages. Almost 3 tons of fish were dead, worth VND500 million ($25,000),” he said.

There are more than 20 households investing in fish cages in Hai Thanh commune, with average investment of VND1 billion ($50,000)/family. They are extremely worried because the fish keep dying.

Chairman of Hai Thanh Commune, Do Xuan Chung, said the authorities collected water samples and dead fish for testing to find the cause.

Local fish breeders said that their fish died because of waste water discharged by a starch factory based at the Lach Bang fishing port.

A canal full of rubbish in Rach Gia City.

Early, from May 4 to 7, wild fish and farmed fish also died en masse on the Buoi River, which runs through Thanh Hoa and Hoa Binh provinces, by waste water discharged by the Hoa Binh Sugarcane Company, which is based in Lac Son District of Hoa Binh Province.

This factory is in a trial operation and its waste water treatment system has not been completed. The factory managers admitted it discharged 2,000-3,000cu.m of waste water to the river/day. However, the volume might be much higher.

In the southern province of Kien Giang, fish died in recent days in the canals in Rach Gia City, from the construction of a dike to prevent saltwater in the city.

Local authorities said the dike prevents water circulation and locals threw rubbish in the canals which are seriously polluted.

Dead fish on the Buoi River:

Linh Nhat