QUẢNG NINH — The northern coastal province of Quảng Ninh has asked local authorities to urgently examine and determine the reason for the mass oyster deaths in Tiên Yên District.

This will help in finding solutions to overcome the situation.

Reports from Tiên Yên District’s People’s Committee showed that since early March, the deaths have wiped out 75 per cent of 7,200 tonnes oysters raised in the district, causing a loss of some VNĐ82 billion (US$3.6 million).

Apart from Tiên Yên District mass oyster deaths are also being recorded in Quảng Yên Township, Vân Đồn District and Móng Cái City.

Nguyễn Hữu Giang, director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said on Tuesday the department had asked specialised units to inspect and collect information on the reason for the oyster deaths.

It had also asked the General Department of Fisheries, the northern Environmental Monitoring and Aquatic Disease Centre and the Veterinary Authority Zone 2 to participate and determine measures to stabilise production activities of those affected, he said.

Currently, water samples of the affected area have shown two different results.

Results of the water analysis of the northern Environmental Monitoring and Aquatic Disease Centre, which took place on April 21, revealed that as many as 13 indicators of the aquatic environment are within the permitted level.

Although the salinity was rather high – between 29 and 30 per cent of the water – it was within the permitted level and would not have impacted the aquaculture.

However, according to results of the Veterinary Authority Zone 2, all three samples of water were positive for Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus bacteria.

Giang said the province would not yet announce an epidemic, as regulated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2016. Currently, the ministry’s Circular 04/2016/TT stipulates that affected localities must announce an epidemic only when the oyster deaths are because the marine creatures have been infected with a parasite named Perkinsus.

The department has sent more inspection teams to take samples for further tests to get accurate results. — VNS