HÀ NỘI – All the water samples taken from seaside resorts in the four central costal provinces hard hit by mass fish deaths recently are within the safe levels, according to a recent report.

The report was published by the Việt Nam Environment Administration under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

The sea water samples were taken from 22 different seaside resorts in four provinces -- Hà Tĩnh, Quảng Bình, Quảng Trị and Thừa Thiên-Huế that have witnessed a sea of fish dead since early April.

The samples were taken from a distance of 1.5km from the seashore and from a depth of 0.3-0.5m twice a day, in the morning and in the afternoon.

Test results revealed all the samples were within the specified levels under the national norms for seaside resorts, the report says.

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Trần Hồng Hà has decided to check environment protection in the Vũng Áng Economic Zone in Kỳ Anh Town in the central province of Hà Tĩnh.

The decision was made following the deaths of approximately 80 tonnes of fish without a clear cause along the central coast, from the Hà Tĩnh to Thừa Thiên-Huế provinces. Last Wednesday, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources had announced two suspected reasons behind this tragedy -- red tide and poisonous chemicals.

Under the decision, the deputy director of the Việt Nam Environment Administration (VEA), Hoàng Văn Thức, will head the inspection team. Lương Duy Anh, an official of the VEA, and Phạm Lam Sơn, deputy director of the Hà Tĩnh Department of Natural Resources and Environment, will be the deputy heads.

The inspection team will also include representatives from the ministries of public security, defence, science and technology, and agriculture and rural development, as well as industry and trade and other concerned institutes and people’s committees.

The inspection team will be divided into six sub-teams that will check the environment protection measures adopted by enterprises in the Vũng Áng Economic Zone, such as the use of chemical substances and the collection, transportation and treatment of waste.

The inspection results must be reported to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment before May 25. — VNS