International experts investigate cause of fish deaths in Central Vietnam
Scientists from Germany, the US and Israel will help Vietnam investigate the cause of mass fish deaths, assess waste discharge activities and water quality in the central sea, focusing on Vung Ang.
On May 2, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha worked with experts from Germany, the US, Israel and scientists in the fields of oceanography, coastal geology, coastal engineering and sustainable environment.
Briefly announcing the recent marine environmental situation in central Vietnam, Minister Ha asked foreign scientists to cooperate with the Ministry in investigating the incident.
"I propose that foreign scientists immediately consult the Ministry and cooperate long-term in protecting Vietnam's marine environment," said Mr. Ha.
International experts have affirmed their readiness to help Vietnam determine the cause of the mass fish deaths. They also hope that Vietnam will focus on information from the warning system before, during and after the mass fish deaths.
| ||
Professor Roberto Mayerle, Director of the Center for Research and Technology at the University of Kiel (Germany), said that if the ministries allow him, he will invite more experts and bring more equipment to help with the investigation. "If we go in the right direction and work with a sense of urgency, we believe that together with Vietnam we will soon find the cause of the incident," the professor said. |
Minister Tran Hong Ha also asked scientists to participate in evaluating the operations of factories that are discharging waste directly into the sea of Vung Ang - Ha Tinh, and surveying the quality of seawater in this area.
Previously, on the evening of April 30, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment held an urgent meeting to speed up the investigation into the environmental pollution related to the mass fish deaths. After the meeting, Minister Tran Hong Ha requested that units be more drastic in investigating activities that directly discharge waste into the environment, focusing on the Vung Ang area.
The Ministry of Natural Resources also established an interdisciplinary inspection team, inviting domestic and foreign scientific organizations to participate and independently evaluate businesses that discharge waste into the marine environment.
In early April, fish cages near the Vung Ang economic zone (Ky Anh town, Ha Tinh) died, and the phenomenon gradually spread from the North to the South to Lang Co (Thua Thien - Hue). Statistics up to April 25, four coastal provinces discovered nearly 70 tons of dead wild fish, mainly species living on the bottom near the shore.
The investigation results announced by the Ministry of Natural Resources on the evening of April 27 said that chemical toxins released from human activities and algal blooms were the cause of the disaster. At a meeting on the afternoon of May 1 in Ha Tinh, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc requested ministries and sectors to investigate and draw specific, rigorous, and scientific conclusions.
On May 2, after collecting 12 samples of sea fish, shrimp, crab, squid... in Ha Tinh, the National Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene Control concluded that the content of heavy metals and pesticides in these foods were all within the permissible limits. Analyzing from 9 to 16 indicators of seawater samples in 4 provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien - Hue, the General Department of Environment (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) assessed that all were within the permissible limits.
According to VNE
