Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung: 'We should cooperate internationally to find the toxins that cause fish deaths'
Regarding the fish deaths that have been going on for three weeks but the cause has not yet been found, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung said that international cooperation should be sought because "many international organizations have adequate equipment and can learn from their experiences."
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| Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung worked in Ky Anh town (Ha Tinh) on the afternoon of April 24. |
On April 24, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung and leaders of Ha Tinh province inspected Ky Ha and Ky Phuong communes (Ky Anh town) - where fish and shrimp deaths have occurred recently. In the afternoon of the same day, the delegation had a working session in Ky Anh town to gather information and listen to leaders of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and representatives of Ha Tinh province report on the incident.
Mr. Nguyen Quoc Ha, Chairman of Ky Anh town, said that the number of dead fish in the area so far is about 10 tons. As a densely populated area, with many foreigners living and working, the large number of dead fish has caused psychological insecurity.
Regarding the cause of the fish deaths, leaders of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and representatives of Ha Tinh province said they are still investigating. "The toxins that caused the fish deaths could be biological, chemical, or some other type. We cannot rule out the possibility of some toxic substances such as cyanide," said Mr. Vu Van Tam, Deputy Minister of Agriculture.
Expressing concern about the toxins that could kill fish, the Deputy Prime Minister requested to find out clearly where they came from. "If you feel that you are not capable enough to draw conclusions, then cooperate with international organizations. Many international organizations have full equipment, we can learn from their experience to find the cause," he emphasized.
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| The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized, "Whatever is done, the people must benefit. The ultimate goal is for the people." |
After listening to Mr. Vo Tuan Nhan, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, stating that the monitoring system in localities where fish die-offs occur has only one station per province, so it takes a lot of time to determine the exact situation, the Deputy Prime Minister assessed that many monitoring locations are still formal and have not yet been effective. He requested the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ha Tinh to connect to the monitoring systems, and relevant departments and agencies need to urgently clarify the cause, draw objective and cautious conclusions, and must have consensus.
"In fact, when the fish deaths first occurred, the local authorities were still confused and not proactive in their research and assessment of the situation," the Deputy Prime Minister assessed.
Strengthening environmental control and requiring periodic inspections of all large-scale enterprises with exhaust systems and natural discharges into rivers, seas, lakes and ponds is also a very urgent issue. "If organizations, enterprises, or anyone intentionally harms the environment, they will be strictly dealt with," said the Deputy Prime Minister.
At the end of the meeting, Mr. Trinh Dinh Dung requested the provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, and Thua Thien - Hue to count the damage, proactively visit people in a timely manner, and support poor families who cannot go to sea to help them stabilize their lives and restore production and business. "Whatever is done, the people must benefit. The ultimate goal is for the people," he said.
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| Since the mass fish deaths, lobster and squid traders at Vung Ang port have been struggling because their shops are empty of customers and facing losses. |
For the past three weeks, along the coast of Ha Tinh, there has been a phenomenon of mass deaths of farmed and wild fish at sea. Dozens of tons of fish were washed ashore by waves, stuck in crevices of rocks, many rotting. This unusual phenomenon then spread to Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien - Hue, many people and some scientists questioned the discharge system of the Formosa project in the Vung Ang Economic Zone (Ky Anh town, Ha Tinh).
At the meeting between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and leaders of the four provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, and Thua Thien - Hue on the afternoon of April 23, representatives of the leaders of the ministries and provinces all hypothesized that the cause of the mass fish deaths was due to very strong toxins from the environment.
In response to some questions about Formosa Hung Nghiep Company discharging toxic waste into the environment and using chemicals to clean pipes, Mr. Vo Tuan Nhan, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, said that he had directly discussed the issue with Formosa Company. Thereby, it initially shows that they ensure the correct industrial operation standards, are licensed to discharge wastewater from water sources, and have committed to setting up a global response plan, and the waste discharged into the environment is also seriously implemented. There is a lot of information that Formosa used toxic chemicals to clean the discharge pipes. Mr. Nhan informed that since the pipes started operating, they have been cleaned 3 times, 2 times in 2015 and the most recent time was in early 2016. Currently, the working group has taken very detailed samples, sent the best experts to study and clarify whether the impact of the agents inside the factory has an impact on the environment or not. The results will be available in about 5 days. "Their discharge pipe is normal, the discharge point has a buoy, so it cannot be said to be a secret discovered by the people. The treatment and discharge process is legal. In the past, there was also a company that discharged illegally, but they did it secretly, while this unit did it openly," said Mr. Nhan. |
According to VNE
