QUẢNG NINH — Quảng Ninh Province will allow Vân Đồn Island District to resume its exploitation of sand mixed with pieces of coral and oysters, to serve the needs of local aquaculture farmers.

Early last year, the northern province’s people’s committee had tightened control over mineral resources, including sand, and had banned the exploitation of sand mixed with pieces of coral and oysters for aquaculture.

Soon after, the sand became scarce, and since then farmers have been struggling to procure sand for aquaculture, especially for breeding bivalve species such as clam and oysters. More than 500 households in the district said they had been affected by the sand shortage.

Nguyễn Thị Bảy, a farmer from Ngọc Vừng Island Commune, said the price of 140 cubic metre vessel of sand jumped up from VNĐ14 million (US$622) to VNĐ16 million ($711). There was also not enough sand to meet the demand.

The Vân Đồn Island District authority had reported the situation to the provincial authority, and now received permission to resume exploitation.

Farmers from Vân Đồn Island District will be allowed to do sand exploitation in a five-hectare area in Vạn Yên Commune’s Tây Bắc Hòn Chín and can extract a maximum of 142,000 cubic metres of sand. Quang Minh Co. Ltd. will be assigned to collect sand this year.

The provincial people’s committee has said that the district would not permit sand exploitation for trading.   

The provincial natural resources and environment department will be in charge of inspecting the sand exploitation activities and taking appropriate steps for environmental protection and security. — VNS