BÀ RỊA-VŨNG TÀU — Ten households raising 100ha of fishery products in Mỹ Xuân Ward, Phú Mỹ District of southern Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province are suffering losses as the water source for their breeding areas has been contaminated by a nearby construction project.

As part of the construction of Sài Gòn-Thép Việt Port, Ngọn Cột Buồm-Vàm Hương Mỹ River has been partially filled, cutting down the water supply for breeding fisheries.

Trần Văn Quyết, who has raised shrimps and fish for more than 20 years, said the water from the river has been seriously polluted since the project started filling the river two months ago.

Shrimps and fish in his pond – which were expected to be ready for sale in the next one to two months – have died, causing a loss of up to VNĐ100 million (US$4,350).

Lacking a water supply due to the blocked river, fish breeders in Mỹ Xuân Ward can not release water from their ponds.

According to Vietnam News Agency, the port project investor, Pomina 2 Steel Joint Stock Company, committed to not filling in the whole of the river to ensure the breeders still have a source of water. However, the filling has nearby been completed and only five metres remain unblocked.

Despite complaints from the locals, sand has been continuously pumped into the river. If the river is completely filled, the breeders will have no water for their fish ponds.

Following the petition sent by local breeders to local authorities in early December, the People’s Committee of Mỹ Xuân Ward told the investor not to fill the whole river, saying the investor would have to suspend construction if they did not follow the order. But the investor persisted.

Phùng Ngọc Quý, deputy director of Pomina 2 Steel Joint Stock Company, said the project cannot be completed if the canals are not leveled.

Nguyễn Văn Thắm, chairman of the Phú Mỹ District People’s Committee, said the local authorities would work with the investor this week and will ask them to build a new pipeline to supply water to the breeders. — VNS