A large number of fish have died in the Cai River in southern Dong Nai Province, causing pollution to the environment and putting many local farmers in debt.
A large number of fish have died in the
The Farmers Association of Thong Nhat Ward in
Provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment director Le Viet Hung said it was not the first time fish in the river had died in such large numbers, the problem had been recorded since 2002.
It was estimated that 130 tonnes of fish died each year, causing a loss to farmers of about VND9 billion (US$450,000).
"River pollution was one of the reasons for the mass fish deaths," he said.
"Many factories operating along the two banks of
Farmer Nguyen Dinh Thang said water near his fish farm was so polluted it stunk.
"The water turned brown and bubbled up," he said.
Thang said he borrowed billions of Vietnamese dong to buy fish and did not know what to do to pay the debt as most of his fish had died.
However, Hung said farmers methods were partly responsible for mass fish deaths.
"An increase in the number of fish raised in a particular area of water sharply reduces the content of oxygen in the water, causing fish to die," he said.
Also, the farmers themselves discharged untreated waste from their fish farms into the river, causing pollution that affected the living areas of the fish, Hung said.
(Source: VNS)
