Residents of Vinh Linh District in central Quang TriProvince receive financial compensations for the environmental catastrophe caused by the Hung Nghiep Formosa Steel Corporation last year (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - A year after the environmental incident caused by the Hung Nghiep Formosa Steel Corporation, residents along thecentral coast are trying to return to a normal life.
Formosa’sactions polluted more than 200km of coastline in April last year, killing morethan 100 tonnes of fish and devasting the environment, robbing thousands ofpeople of their livelihoods and severely damaging the economies of Ha Tinh, QuangBinh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue provinces.
Fisheriesand tourism, key economic sectors for the central region, were plunged into aserious crisis. Residents surviving on fishing were rendered desperate andhelpless, not knowing what to do with no fish or shrimp to catch.
AfterFormosa committed to pay compensation, the Government and local authoritieshave tried to support residents resume production and positive results havebeen seen.
Thebustle and noise have returned to Ha Tinh province’s Kỳ Anh district, withhundreds of boats going out to sea and returning every day.
HaTinh households engaged in offshore fishing and aquaculture suffered damagesestimated at over 260 billion VND (11.5 million USD).
HoangThi Huong, a resident of Ky Ninh commune in Ha Tinh’s Ky Anh district, saidthat after receiving compensation, her family bought new fishing tools andupgraded her fishing boat.
“Allboats in the communes have resumed operations and they usually get plenty offish every trip,” said Le Cong Duong, Chairman of Kỳ Ninh commune.
Bettercatches
NguyenSuu, another farmer, said he’d never enjoyed such a bumper crop as he’s donethis year.
“Weare getting a better catch compared to last year, and there is no difficulty inselling the seafood,” he said, adding that his family was earning dozens ofmillions of dong per fishing trip.
Signsof economic recovery have also been seen in Quang Tri province.
NguyenVan Huan, deputy director of the province’s Agriculture and Rural Development,said fishermen have been regularly getting big catches since the beginning ofthis year.
Huancited as an example the case of Le Tuan, a fisherman from Gio Linh district.
Tuanreturned from a fishing trip with a catch weighing 150kg, the biggest everreported in the province. At 40,000 VND per kilogramme, he earned 6 billion VNDfrom this trip.
Signsof recovery
Huansaid that the bigger catches that fishermen are getting in the central regionshow that the sea is recovering, and so is the fisheries sector.
Themass fish deaths were first reported on April 6 when a large number of deadfish washed ashore in Ha Tinh province. The phenomenon soon spread to QuangBinh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue provinces.
Thepollution also affected over 260,000 people who earned their living from thesea.
Latein June, Formosa Ha Tinh accepted responsibility for the mass fish deaths andpledged to compensate by paying over 11.5 trillion VND (500 million USD) tosupport local fishermen and help clean up the polluted marine environment.
Asof April 1 this year, nearly 3.7 trillion VND has been paid to affected people.It is expected that the payment of compensation to victims will be completed byJune this year.
Apartfrom monetary compensation, many incentives have been offered to affectedpeople, like supporting fishermen who want to shift to other jobs or workoverseas.
Aquacultureexploitation and trading of aquatic products in the central area have returnedto normal, officials say. Since the beginning of the year, over 4,500 tonnes ofseafood have been bought and consumed.
Over80 percent of fishing boats have resumed their operation, and the area of brackishwater aquaculture has met the target of 2,777ha set for the end of 2016.-VNA
Formosa’sactions polluted more than 200km of coastline in April last year, killing morethan 100 tonnes of fish and devasting the environment, robbing thousands ofpeople of their livelihoods and severely damaging the economies of Ha Tinh, QuangBinh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue provinces.
Fisheriesand tourism, key economic sectors for the central region, were plunged into aserious crisis. Residents surviving on fishing were rendered desperate andhelpless, not knowing what to do with no fish or shrimp to catch.
AfterFormosa committed to pay compensation, the Government and local authoritieshave tried to support residents resume production and positive results havebeen seen.
Thebustle and noise have returned to Ha Tinh province’s Kỳ Anh district, withhundreds of boats going out to sea and returning every day.
HaTinh households engaged in offshore fishing and aquaculture suffered damagesestimated at over 260 billion VND (11.5 million USD).
HoangThi Huong, a resident of Ky Ninh commune in Ha Tinh’s Ky Anh district, saidthat after receiving compensation, her family bought new fishing tools andupgraded her fishing boat.
“Allboats in the communes have resumed operations and they usually get plenty offish every trip,” said Le Cong Duong, Chairman of Kỳ Ninh commune.
Bettercatches
NguyenSuu, another farmer, said he’d never enjoyed such a bumper crop as he’s donethis year.
“Weare getting a better catch compared to last year, and there is no difficulty inselling the seafood,” he said, adding that his family was earning dozens ofmillions of dong per fishing trip.
Signsof economic recovery have also been seen in Quang Tri province.
NguyenVan Huan, deputy director of the province’s Agriculture and Rural Development,said fishermen have been regularly getting big catches since the beginning ofthis year.
Huancited as an example the case of Le Tuan, a fisherman from Gio Linh district.
Tuanreturned from a fishing trip with a catch weighing 150kg, the biggest everreported in the province. At 40,000 VND per kilogramme, he earned 6 billion VNDfrom this trip.
Signsof recovery
Huansaid that the bigger catches that fishermen are getting in the central regionshow that the sea is recovering, and so is the fisheries sector.
Themass fish deaths were first reported on April 6 when a large number of deadfish washed ashore in Ha Tinh province. The phenomenon soon spread to QuangBinh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue provinces.
Thepollution also affected over 260,000 people who earned their living from thesea.
Latein June, Formosa Ha Tinh accepted responsibility for the mass fish deaths andpledged to compensate by paying over 11.5 trillion VND (500 million USD) tosupport local fishermen and help clean up the polluted marine environment.
Asof April 1 this year, nearly 3.7 trillion VND has been paid to affected people.It is expected that the payment of compensation to victims will be completed byJune this year.
Apartfrom monetary compensation, many incentives have been offered to affectedpeople, like supporting fishermen who want to shift to other jobs or workoverseas.
Aquacultureexploitation and trading of aquatic products in the central area have returnedto normal, officials say. Since the beginning of the year, over 4,500 tonnes ofseafood have been bought and consumed.
Over80 percent of fishing boats have resumed their operation, and the area of brackishwater aquaculture has met the target of 2,777ha set for the end of 2016.-VNA
VNA
