Fish die en masse in Thanh Hóa

August 16, 2016 - 17:00

Alluvium, mud and soil brought down by floods are the reasons behind the mass fish death in central Thanh Hóa Province over the past few days, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said today.

A farmer removes dead fish from his cage. Nearly eight tonnes of fish in the Mã River have been found dead since Sunday night. — Photo vietnamplus.vn
Viet Nam News

THANH HÓA — Alluvium, mud and soil brought down by floods are the reasons behind the mass fish death in central Thanh Hóa Province over the past few days, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said today.

Fish being bred in cages along the Mã River reportedly began dying on Sunday night. All the fish, collectively weighing nearly eight tonnes, have died, according to the local authority.

Native fish in the Mã River have also died en masse.

The department conducted tests on the fish and water samples and concluded that the floods caused a sudden change in the environment that led to the fish deaths.

Deputy director of the department, Nguyễn Viết Thái, said that the authority had recommended farmers harvest their fish or move the cages to safe locations to limit the loss.

He said the dead fish were collected and destroyed.

The case was reported to provincial authorities so that the cause of the mass deaths could be identified and measures taken to assist farmers.

In May, more than 17 tonnes of fish being bred in cages in the province’s Thạch Thành District died. Investigations in that case showed that a large amount of wastewater from cassava starch and sugar plants released in the nearby Hòa Bình Province without proper treatment had caused the mass fish deaths. — VNS

 

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