Pollution Causing Losses for Farmers at Vietnamese Province

Pollution from waste water released by shrimp farms has killed millions of farmed shrimp in central Quang Tri Province, causing "huge losses" for farmers, Vietnam News reports. The province's veterinary authorities said 79 out of 223 hectares of shrimp farming in the locality had diseased shrimp. The figure is expected to rise as pollution spreads. 99%% of shrimp on 66ha of farms on Bac Phuoc islet in the province's Trieu Phong district have died from a variety of diseases poisoning the liver and head. Each affected farmer has lost about VND 100 million (nearly $5,000) that they invested in shrimp fry. Tran Van Duong, a farmer, said the disease had spread so fast he and other farmers could not react in time to save them. Similar diseases have attacked other shrimp farms in Hai Lang District in the same province. Nguyen Vu Si, chairman of Trieu Phuoc Commune, which has 149ha of shrimp farms, said farmers had not ensured good hygienic conditions on the farms. "Farmers did not hygienically prepare the farms before each crop and their release of waste water has polluted environment around the farms," he said. In Hai Lang, the pollution is more severe as farmers did not consult veterinary staff and used improper chemicals to treat waste water. The veterinary department expects more shrimp farms will be affected. (undercurrentnews.com Sept 22)