THANH HÓA — Thanh Hóa Province’s People’s Committee has approved the plan to dredge sand sediments along the entrance and storm sheltering area of Lạch Bạng Sea Port this year.

The committee made the decision after it was found that encroaching sand sediments along the port in Tĩnh Gia District was blocking several cargo ships and fishing vessels approaching the port.

The province has assigned the Management Board of Thanh Hóa Agricultural and Rural Development Construction Investment Projects as investor in the project.

As planned, the board will dredge some 1.2km of sand sediments along the sea port, starting from Hải Thanh Commune to Hải Bình Commune. The project will cost some VNĐ10 billion (US$439,500), which will be provided from the provincial fund.

The committee has assigned the management board to implement the next steps for the project.

Earlier, Vietnam News Agency reported on the severe sand sedimentation along Lạch Bạng Sea Port, hampering the docking of vessels, especially those with a capacity of more than 400CV.

The sand sedimentation along the port also adversely affected the economic development of the sea port in the two communes of Hải Thanh and Hải Bình. Hundreds of ships were laid still in recent days, and seafood processing factories had to close owing to lack of raw materials for production activities. It rendered thousands of workers unemployed.

Lạch Bạng Sea Port is the biggest point for docking and fisheries trading in Thanh Hoá Province. Normally, the port can serve up to 800 vessels annually, but in the past few years, only some 500 ships have been able to enter the port each year.

In 2016, the total amount of goods transported to the port was 246,000 tonnes. — VNS