Following the mass fish deaths, hundreds of fishermen in Ha Tinh province stopped going out to sea because the local seafood resources were unsaleable. Some switched to diving to search for scrap metal to make a living.
 |
| On April 25th, more than 400 boats of all sizes were anchored in the harbor of Ky Loi commune (Ky Anh district, Ha Tinh province). This area is near the Ngang Pass, bordering Quang Binh province. According to many fishermen, they haven't gone out to sea to fish for a week because the quantity is dwindling. Furthermore, consumers are not buying seafood caught by fishermen following the mass fish deaths along the coast from Ha Tinh to Thua Thien Hue. |
 |
| The fishing grounds of Ky Loi commune are located not far from the Formosa industrial zone, where a wastewater discharge pipeline has been licensed by the authorities. |
 |
| With no more fish to catch and consumers not buying seafood, many families have put away their nets and stopped going out to sea. Mai Xuan Hung (Ky Loi, Ky Anh district), along with his relatives, packed up their nets into sacks and said: "For nearly 70 years, since our ancestors relied on the sea, we've never encountered a situation like this. Our whole family of eight depends on the sea, but now that we can't go fishing, things are very difficult." |
 |
| Many fishermen say that if they catch little fish at sea and then can't sell it when they return, they suffer heavy losses. |
 |
| Mr. Le Van Minh (a fisherman from Ky Loi commune, Ky Anh district) said that on April 23rd and 24th, his boat only caught 3 kg of fish. "That's not even enough to cover the cost of fuel and the effort of traveling for over 10 hours. Even when we took the fish to the market to sell, people criticized us for bringing fish with toxins that could poison the local population," he said sadly. |
 |
| Instead of fishing near the shore, many families prepare fuel, food, and drinks to fish further offshore, about 30 nautical miles (over 50 km) from the coast. "The types of fish that can be exported are still sellable, mainly grouper, but there aren't many of them left," said fisherman Thanh. |
 |
| However, after hearing that even fish intended for export were not being bought by many small traders, the man silently gazed into the distance, reluctantly put away his fuel and food, and returned home. |
 |
| Many families have turned to diving to collect scrap metal that has fallen into the sea from the Formosa industrial zone. |
 |
| Mr. Nguyen Phuc (72 years old, a fisherman from Ky Loi commune, Ky Anh district) shares the same sentiment. His entire family of over 10 depends on the sea for their livelihood, but now they dare not go out to sea for fear of losses and the lack of buyers. While in the past they would harvest 40-50 kg of fish per trip, now they only get 2-3 kg. |
 |
| "We have no other choice; searching for scrap metal underwater is difficult and dangerous, but we have to do it to earn extra income and make ends meet," Ms. Loi shared. |
 |
| Restaurants along the coast have been struggling for nearly two weeks. Some restaurants have lost tens of millions of dong because they can't sell their fish, crabs, and shellfish to customers. |
On April 25, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc instructed the People's Committees of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, and Thua Thien Hue provinces to review and compile statistics on households engaged in aquaculture and fisheries that suffered losses, and the extent of those losses, ensuring the information is complete and accurate. Therefore, provinces need to propose measures to support fishermen, especially policy beneficiary households, poor and disadvantaged households, and those who have suffered significant and severe losses, helping people to stabilize their lives as soon as possible. The Prime Minister emphasized that no one should go hungry due to the suspension of fishing activities. |
According to Zing.vn
