According to a major new study released by the Vietnamese government at a press conference on Monday, the coastal waters of central Vietnam, which were impacted by the Formosa chemical discharge earlier this summer, are again safe for swimming and aquaculture.
However, according to VnExpress, the report failed to answer an extremely important question: whether it is now safe to catch and eat fish in the region. The study, led by Professor Mai Trong Nhuan from Hanoi National University, examined the health of the sea along the coast of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue provinces.
In early April, dozens of tons of dead fish washed ashore in this part of the country, the result of toxic discharge from the under-construction US$10.6 billion Formosa Ha Tinh Steel plant. The disaster paralyzed fishing communities along a 200km stretch of coast and was pinned on Formosa three months after the fact. The firm has since accepted responsibility and pledged US$500 million in compensation for its negligence, according to Thanh Nien.
The report showed that the seas in the region are beginning to recover, though they are not necessarily healthy. VnExpress reports that “marine life, including sea water and sea-bed sediment, is generally within Vietnamese safety standards for aquaculture, farming, fishing and tourism activities,” far from a ringing endorsement. Further, coral reefs are recovering, and the levels of chemical residue found in seafood are falling.
While this is good news, it is unlikely that this report will bring relief to local residents who depend on the water for their livelihood. The report goes on to warn that levels of certain pollutants like phenol remain high. Friedhelm Schroeder, an environmental chemistry expert from the German Center for Materials and Coastal Research who was hired by the government to study the impact of the disaster, told conference attendees that fishermen should not go back to work yet.
Tran Nghi, a professor from the Hanoi University of Natural Sciences, was quoted assuring residents that this was just the first stage of the study. “We are waiting for the second stage results that will show if fish are safe and the sea has recovered fully,” he said. This means more waiting for the estimated 200,000 people affected by the fish kill, including 41,000 fishermen.
[Photo via Flickr user Le Ha Chi]
