Coastal areas are in danger of pollution

A survey of the Oceanography Institute found that rampant uncontrolled aquatic cultivation in coastal areas is one of the major reasons behind the pollution.

In provinces from Quang Ninh to Quang Binh, more than 37,000 hectares are reserved for aquaculture, which account for 30-35 percent of total salt and brackish water area.

As aquaculture is organized on an industrial scale, the natural environment has been affected: habitats for creatures, as well as spawning and breeding grounds have been eliminated, and epidemics break out more regularly.

Scientists also pointed out that uncontrolled tourism activities have been harming the environment and natural landscape of the sea. Cat Ba National Park, covering an area of 5,400 hectares of surface water, is considered the first marine protected area (MPA) of Vietnam with large marine ecological reserves.

Cat Ba, a beautiful island, has changed a lot since the day it became a tourist site and aquaculture area. Tourism, cage farming and fishing areas have all tried to exploit coastal resources. It is estimated that thousands of tons of garbage is thrown into the sea every day.

Coastal industrial zones have recently become a big threat to the marine environment. A series of thermopower plants, oil and gas processing units, steel mills and paper plants have arisen in many places on the coastline from the north to the south. 

Meanwhile, the management of waste sources has not seen considerable improvement.

As a result, 80 percent of mangrove forests have disappeared over the last 50 years while recovery has been insignificant. The total area of coral reefs in the northern sea has been reduced by one fourth in quantity. The quality of 85 percent of coral reefs is in an alarming situation.

Environmental incidents, red tides and coastal erosion which occur more regularly have had negative impact on the living environment, people’s health and coastal ecosystem. The pollution from inorganic matters in seaside waters is commonly in coastal provinces of Vietnam.

Important achievements have been gained in managing and protecting marine environment, but big problems still exist because of the lack of management tools.

Appropriate agencies have set a legal framework on protecting environment, but the most important documents to ensure the implementation of the Law on Marine and Island Resources and Environment have not been completed. 

Since central agencies have not finished the drafting of national plans, local authorities cannot plan their development programs. Meanwhile, legal loopholes exist in many legal documents.

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Chi Nam