Fish cages are dead, Hai Duong farmers are at risk of defaulting on tens of billions of dong in debt
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TPO – Many households in Tien Tien commune and Nam Dong ward (Hai Duong city) had dozens of commercial fish farming cages close to harvest that died en masse, with estimated losses reaching tens of billions of VND/household, owners said. Weak bank loans.
One household lost 60 tons of dead fish
In recent days, the mass death of caged fish in Hai Duong has shown no signs of decreasing. According to statistics from Hai Duong city authorities, in addition to Tien Tien commune, mass deaths of caged fish appeared in Nam Dong ward. In addition, farmers raising fish in cages in Thai Tan commune, Nam Tan (Nam Sach district) also recorded a similar situation.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Mat (in Tien Tien commune, Hai Duong city) said that her family raises 18 fish cages with a density of 5,000-6,000 fish/cage. From the beginning of April until now, when Ms. Mat’s fish were preparing for the harvest season with a weight of 4-7kg/fish, the fish died and floated white on the water surface.
“Every day the family salvages tons of dead fish, the total loss is estimated to be nearly ten billion dong in initial investment, mainly borrowed from banks,” Ms. Mat said.
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People collect dead fish and pack them into bags to sell to the collection force as fertilizer. Photo: Hanoi |
Mr. Chien’s family (in Egypt Thuong village, Tien Tien commune) said that his family raises 14 fish cages, mainly commercial fish (1-3kg/fish). For about a week now, his family has been unable to salvage dead fish, estimated at about 6-7 tons of fish.
The leader of the People’s Committee of Tien Tien commune said that there were 24 households raising caged fish in the locality where mass fish deaths occurred, most of which lost tons of dead fish per household. Among them, 6 households lost 9-60 tons of fish, estimated to be worth tens of billions of dong.
The risk of default is tens of billions of dong
Near Tien Tien commune, people raising fish in cages in Nam Dong ward (Hai Duong city) also recorded mass deaths of fish, floating white on the water surface.
Looking at the sacks containing dead fish he had just picked up, Mr. Do Van Nha (54 years old) could not help but feel sad. He shared that his family raises 56 fish cages, each cage is 72m2 wide, with an average harvest yield of about 15-20 tons of commercial fish/cage.
Mr. Nha shared that he has been raising fish in cages on the Thai Binh River for 7 years, and this is the first time he has encountered mass fish deaths. Around the end of March, the fish in the cage stopped eating. He actively pumped oxygen boosters but it was ineffective and the fish died sporadically.
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Mr. Do Van Nha at his family’s cage fish farming area. Photo: Hanoi |
By early April, the fish died en masse and floated white on the surface of the cage, and the family was unable to fish them out. The local government mobilized youth union members and people to help the family pick up the fish and put them in bags to bury.
When preparing to harvest, the fish is expected to sell for 62,000 VND/kg. But now the fish are dying en masse, the family picks up the remaining fish and sells them for rescue at a price of 20,000 VND/kg but the quantity is not significant.
“With the amount of dead fish in the past week, the family estimates a loss of more than 20 billion VND, most of the money borrowed from the bank to invest in seeds and bran. With this situation, my family and other fish farming households are at risk of bankruptcy. debt. I hope the authorities will soon clarify the cause and have a plan to support the people,” Mr. Nha said.
According to the People’s Committee of Nam Dong ward, the locality has 86 households raising fish in cages, Mr. Do Van Nha’s family has the largest output and is also the household with the heaviest damage due to dead fish. According to preliminary statistics, in Nam Dong commune alone, households lost about 360 tons of fish of all kinds.
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People picked up fish, collected them and sold them to fertilizer companies, and pumped water to increase dissolved oxygen in the cages to reduce the loss of dead fish. Photo: Hanoi |
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Hai Duong province recently chaired a meeting with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Science and Technology and leaders of urban districts to discuss solutions to the mass death of caged fish. Inter-Department representatives requested localities not only to listen to fish farmers’ reports but also to verify the specific number of dead fish to avoid false declarations.
On April 5, the Department of Fisheries and the Aquaculture Research Institute I (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) checked and determined that the dissolved oxygen concentration in water in areas where caged fish died was very low.
Regarding the phenomenon of mass fish deaths, Mr. Trieu The Hung – Chairman of Hai Duong Provincial People’s Committee assigned the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to preside and coordinate with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment and People’s Committees of urban districts to urgently identify and clarify the cause of mass fish deaths. in recent days.
The Chairman of Hai Duong province requested the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to organize water quality monitoring on rivers, focusing on areas where caged fish have died en masse. At the same time, preside over and coordinate with the People’s Committees of urban districts to organize a review of waste sources entering river areas where fish cages are raised.
The Department of Fisheries warns of “hot”
The Department of Fisheries – Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has just sent a letter to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of provinces and cities that raise fish in cages on rivers and freshwater reservoirs on strengthening the management of fish farming in cages on rivers and lakes. contains fresh water.
According to forecasts of the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting, the El Nino phenomenon lasting from 2023 to the end of April 2024 is causing water levels on rivers and lakes to drop sharply, affecting aquaculture activities. cage.
Results of environmental monitoring and warnings in caged fish farming areas on rivers and reservoirs in some key provinces show that some environmental parameters have values exceeding allowable limits, including: Coliform, N-NO2 , COD, Chlorophyll a, N-NH4+, P-PO43, environmental quality tends to be polluted.
Especially during the changing season, strong fluctuations in environmental factors combined with rain/flood phenomena affect the growth and development of aquaculture.
According to the Department of Fisheries, some farming areas need special attention, such as on Duong River and Thai Binh River (Bac Ninh, Hai Duong); Lo River, Gam River (Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Phu Tho…), Cai Vung River (An Giang); La Nga River (Dong Nai); Cha Va River (Ba Ria – Vung Tau) and some rivers in the Central and Southern regions… often have mass deaths of fish raised in cages.
To minimize damage to farmers, the Department of Fisheries requests that the Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development of provinces and cities with freshwater fish cage farming proactively coordinate with local authorities and experts to carry out the work well. environmental monitoring and warning; Comply with recommendations in bulletins announcing environmental monitoring results from specialized agencies.
Localities need to control, prevent, and minimize sources of environmental pollution from cage fish farming activities; Strengthen control, detection and treatment of waste discharge sources in farming areas. At the same time, localities need to proactively develop technical procedures to guide fish farming in cages on rivers and freshwater reservoirs; Organize the review and arrangement of appropriate farming cages, in accordance with local approved plans and plans.
Regarding the mass death of caged fish in Hai Duong, according to the Department of Fisheries, the initial cause was due to environmental fluctuations (low dissolved oxygen content, high toxic gas concentration exceeding the allowable limit). reduces resistance in farmed fish, creating an opportunity for pathogens to invade.
Therefore, the Department of Fisheries recommends that localities collect all dead fish carcasses ashore, process lime powder and bury them to avoid environmental pollution; Propagate people not to use dead fish to eat or process as food for humans or livestock, and at the same time clean and disinfect all cage nets and farming equipment with antiseptics; Hang lime bags around the cage, facilitating water exchange between inside and outside the cage.
The Department of Fisheries recommends that people stop farming until there are accurate analysis results from specialized agencies and environmental conditions allow. The locality coordinates with relevant functional units to continue taking water samples, sediment samples and fish samples; Review, detect and treat waste discharge sources in caged fish farming areas to accurately determine the cause of death in caged fish.
In particular, Hai Duong needs to continue to accurately record the number of cages and the volume of fish damaged as a basis for proposing support to farmers according to regulations.
Previously, fish raised in cages on the Thai Binh River died en masse and floated white on the river surface, leading to serious air pollution.
According to incomplete statistics, Hai Duong province had more than 300 tons of fish of all kinds died in cages, with an estimated loss of tens of billions of dong. Tien Tien commune (Hai Duong city) alone has 52 farming households with about 700 cages.
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