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Vietnam investigates mass fish kill on Lam River
🇻🇳 Vietnam /Environment & Climate

Vietnam investigates mass fish kill on Lam River

From Tuổi Trẻ · (11m ago) Vietnamese Critical tone

Translated from Vietnamese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Vietnam's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is investigating a mass fish kill incident on the Lam River.
  • Thousands of tons of farmed fish in cages and rafts died suddenly on May 4, affecting multiple villages in Anh Son commune.
  • Initial assessments suggest environmental shock or water pollution as potential causes, with investigations ongoing.

Authorities in Vietnam's Nghe An province are urgently investigating a perplexing mass fish kill that has devastated local aquaculture operations along the Lam River. On May 4, thousands of tons of farmed fish, including various species like grass carp and catfish, perished abruptly in cages and rafts across several villages in Anh Son commune. The incident has caused significant economic losses for the local fishing communities.

Lãnh đạo sở đã chỉ đạo các đơn vị liên quan vào cuộc xử lý, hỗ trợ chính quyền và người dân khắc phục hậu quả vụ cá nuôi lồng, bè của người dân chết trên sông Lam.

— Trần Xuân HọcDeputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, stating the department's response to the incident.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has directed relevant units to assess the situation and support affected residents. However, initial inspection efforts were hampered as most of the dead fish had already been disposed of by the time officials arrived at the scene. This lack of available samples complicates the process of determining the exact cause of the die-off.

Tuy nhiên, sau hơn một ngày xảy ra tình trạng cá lồng, bè của người dân chết hàng loạt, khi đoàn đến hiện trường thì hầu hết các mẫu vật (cá chết) người dân đã xử lý, nên không còn để thu thập.

— Department of Fisheries officialExplaining the difficulty in collecting samples due to early disposal by residents.

While a definitive conclusion has yet to be reached, preliminary assessments from the Department of Livestock and Veterinary Medicine point towards environmental shock as a likely cause. Sudden changes in weather conditions or pollution from domestic and industrial wastewater are also being considered as potential factors. The incident is particularly concerning as fish farming in this area has historically been stable, making this sudden and widespread mortality an anomaly.

Đoàn đã hướng dẫn bà con chi tiết các biện pháp khoa học trong phòng ngừa, khử khuẩn trước khi tái đầu tư thả đàn cá mới.

— Department of Fisheries officialDescribing guidance provided to residents for future stocking.

Local residents reported that the fish deaths began early on May 4 and affected a wide area. In addition to farmed fish, natural fish and shrimp were also found washed ashore, suggesting a broader environmental issue impacting the river's ecosystem. The ongoing investigation aims to identify the root cause and implement measures to prevent future occurrences, providing crucial support to the affected communities as they grapple with this unexpected disaster.

Theo nhận định ban đầu của lãnh đạo Chi cục Chăn nuôi và Thú y, hiện tượng cá chết nhanh bất thường xảy ra sáng 4-5 tại sông Lam ở bàn xã Anh Sơn nghi là do sốc môi trường.

— Department of Livestock and Veterinary Medicine officialProviding an initial assessment of environmental shock as a potential cause.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tuổi Trẻ in Vietnamese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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