HÀ TĨNH — Authorities in Hà Tĩnh Province have destroyed 275 tonnes of fish contaminated with chemicals from Formosa’s toxic spill into the ocean near the province and its neighbours – Quảng Bình, Quảng Trị and Thừa Thiên-Huế.

The fish were collected from local freezer warehouses, following tests by local authorities. The destroyed fish contained toxins cadmium and phenol, test results revealed.

The contaminated fish were landfilled at a garbage zone in the province’s Hồng Lộc Commune and sprayed with lime powder and fumigation substance Chloramine B.

Local authorities said transportation of the fish from the warehouses to the landfill site was closely monitored to ensure no contaminated fish was taken to be sold in the market.

Earlier this week, Quảng Bình dumped 606 tonnes of fish contaminated by Taiwanese Hưng Nghiệp Formosa Hà Tĩnh Steel Company. Quảng Trị did the same in November, with 70 tonnes of poisonous fish landfilled.

There were 5,369 tonnes of frozen fish that remained unsold in Quảng Bình following the Formosa incident which began in April. Tests by local authorities showed that 2,658 tonnes were safe for consumption.

During a working visit to Quảng Bình yesterday, Minister and Head of Government Office Mai Tiến Dũng urged the province’s authorities to boost the sale of fish stored in local warehouses.

Nguyễn Đức Thắng, director of a local fish trading enterprise, asked authorities to assist in finding a market to sell the remaining fish as well as in the imbursement of subsidy according to the cost of the destroyed fish.

Provincial People’s Committee deputy chairman Lê Minh Ngân said the imbursement is underway. A 100 per cent subsidy will be provided for the fish found to have been contaminated, while a 30 per cent subsidy rate will be applied for uncontaminated fish which has been stored for a long time in freezers following the Formosa incident, according to government guidelines. — VNS