Part of coastline along Hoang Sa, Truong Sa and Nguyen Tat Thanh Streets in Da Nang city (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Marine pollutionwill culminate in the degradation of marine biodiversity, especially coralreefs which cover about 1,122 sq.km. of seabed off the country’s coast.
According to the Vietnam Administrationof Seas and Islands, about 20 percent of reefs have coral coverage of under 25 percent at present. Meanwhile, 60percent of reefs have between 26-50percent coral coverage and only 3 percent of reefs have coral covering morethan 75 percent of their areas.
“Vietnam has never faced such a big challengeto its coral like it is at present. More than 50 tonnes of coral, excludingblack coral in Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Quang Ninh provinces and Hai Phongcity, disappear every year. If that trend continues, the country will be unableto see any coral in its offshore waters within the next 20 years,” theInstitute of Oceanography warned.
Especially, Vietnam is facing serious marine pollution with mass fish deaths insome central provinces last April the latest incident recorded.
The country boasts a coast ofover 3,260km, an exclusive economic zone of more than 1 million sq. km and over3,000 islands.
According to the Ministry ofNatural Resources and Environment, the main cause of marine pollution is thewidespread unplanned development of industry, tourism and aquaculture, growingpopulation and poverty, low public awareness and policy loopholes.
About 70 – 80 percent of thewaste at sea hails from the mainland where many factories and residential areasrelease untreated waste water and solid waste into coastal rivers or directlyinto the sea.
In aquaculture, one hectare ofshrimp farming produces about 5 tonnes of solid waste and tens of thousands ofcubic metres of waste water in one crop. With over 600,000ha of shrimp farms inVietnam, nearly 3 million tonnes of solid waste will be discarded to theenvironment every year.
The Institute of Oceanographyalso blames marine pollution on the unreasonable use of coastal soil, leadingto an increasing scarcity of fresh water, land erosion and soil settlement inlittoral areas.
Tourism activities have alsonegatively influenced the marine environment. The Cat Ba National Park with5,400ha of water surface in the northern region is an example. The environmentthere has been degraded due to irrational tourism and aquaculture that releasesthousands of tonnes of waste into the sea every day.
Meanwhile, there have been moreand more oil spills at sea as higher petroleum demand and excessive oilexploitation have caused more frequent incidents relating to oil drilling andtankers. Hundreds of offshore oil wells produce 5,600 tonnes of oil and gaswaste every year, about 20 – 30 percent of which are dangerous anduntreated.
More than 100 rivers in Vietnampour some 80 cubic kilometres of water depositing 270 – 300 million tonnes ofalluvium into the sea each year, which can carry pollutants such as heavymetallic elements and toxic substances from industrial, residential, aquaticfarming and agricultural zones.
In 2010, large amounts of wastewere recorded in coastal waters, including 35,160 tonnes of oil, 26 – 52 tonnesof nitrogen and 15 – 30 tonnes of ammonium a day. Coastal seawater has beenfound to be polluted with organic substances, zinc and pesticides.
The red tide phenomenon has alsobeen seen in the waters off the south central coast such as in Khanh Hoa, NinhThuan and Binh Thuan provinces, killing aquatic species farmed there. More than85 marine species have been listed as endangered at different levels, and some70 of them are listed in Vietnam’s Red Book of endangered species.
More than 50 percent of bigcities, nearly 60 percent of the population and most industrial parks, exportprocessing zones, aquaculture areas and tourism activities are at sea andcoastal areas, which are rich in natural resources and economic developmentpotential.
Those areas are recording fastpopulation growth and migration. While the shrimp and fish volume in watersnear the mainland are running out, about 600,000 fishermen in the 28 coastalprovinces and cities are still seeking every possible way to harvest more. Thisis exhausting marine resources even more rapidly.-VNA
According to the Vietnam Administrationof Seas and Islands, about 20 percent of reefs have coral coverage of under 25 percent at present. Meanwhile, 60percent of reefs have between 26-50percent coral coverage and only 3 percent of reefs have coral covering morethan 75 percent of their areas.
“Vietnam has never faced such a big challengeto its coral like it is at present. More than 50 tonnes of coral, excludingblack coral in Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Quang Ninh provinces and Hai Phongcity, disappear every year. If that trend continues, the country will be unableto see any coral in its offshore waters within the next 20 years,” theInstitute of Oceanography warned.
Especially, Vietnam is facing serious marine pollution with mass fish deaths insome central provinces last April the latest incident recorded.
The country boasts a coast ofover 3,260km, an exclusive economic zone of more than 1 million sq. km and over3,000 islands.
According to the Ministry ofNatural Resources and Environment, the main cause of marine pollution is thewidespread unplanned development of industry, tourism and aquaculture, growingpopulation and poverty, low public awareness and policy loopholes.
About 70 – 80 percent of thewaste at sea hails from the mainland where many factories and residential areasrelease untreated waste water and solid waste into coastal rivers or directlyinto the sea.
In aquaculture, one hectare ofshrimp farming produces about 5 tonnes of solid waste and tens of thousands ofcubic metres of waste water in one crop. With over 600,000ha of shrimp farms inVietnam, nearly 3 million tonnes of solid waste will be discarded to theenvironment every year.
The Institute of Oceanographyalso blames marine pollution on the unreasonable use of coastal soil, leadingto an increasing scarcity of fresh water, land erosion and soil settlement inlittoral areas.
Tourism activities have alsonegatively influenced the marine environment. The Cat Ba National Park with5,400ha of water surface in the northern region is an example. The environmentthere has been degraded due to irrational tourism and aquaculture that releasesthousands of tonnes of waste into the sea every day.
Meanwhile, there have been moreand more oil spills at sea as higher petroleum demand and excessive oilexploitation have caused more frequent incidents relating to oil drilling andtankers. Hundreds of offshore oil wells produce 5,600 tonnes of oil and gaswaste every year, about 20 – 30 percent of which are dangerous anduntreated.
More than 100 rivers in Vietnampour some 80 cubic kilometres of water depositing 270 – 300 million tonnes ofalluvium into the sea each year, which can carry pollutants such as heavymetallic elements and toxic substances from industrial, residential, aquaticfarming and agricultural zones.
In 2010, large amounts of wastewere recorded in coastal waters, including 35,160 tonnes of oil, 26 – 52 tonnesof nitrogen and 15 – 30 tonnes of ammonium a day. Coastal seawater has beenfound to be polluted with organic substances, zinc and pesticides.
The red tide phenomenon has alsobeen seen in the waters off the south central coast such as in Khanh Hoa, NinhThuan and Binh Thuan provinces, killing aquatic species farmed there. More than85 marine species have been listed as endangered at different levels, and some70 of them are listed in Vietnam’s Red Book of endangered species.
More than 50 percent of bigcities, nearly 60 percent of the population and most industrial parks, exportprocessing zones, aquaculture areas and tourism activities are at sea andcoastal areas, which are rich in natural resources and economic developmentpotential.
Those areas are recording fastpopulation growth and migration. While the shrimp and fish volume in watersnear the mainland are running out, about 600,000 fishermen in the 28 coastalprovinces and cities are still seeking every possible way to harvest more. Thisis exhausting marine resources even more rapidly.-VNA
VNA
