Tran Tony Phuc Thanh, a Viet Kieu in the
US, Director of Asia Hawaii Ventures (AHV), said that he had been panicking since curdled oil had been found on the beach near the company’s shrimp hatchery area.
“One week ago, my workers reported an oil spill and curdled oil on the coast line. I have ordered 200 workers to collect the oil and they have collected 800kg,” he said. Water from the sea gets pumped into the shrimp hatchery ponds; it would cause serious damage if the water became polluted.
Not only AHV hatches shrimp in the area. The Phu Yen Science and Technology Department is also hatching shrimp on 10 ha of coast.
Mr Nguyen Van Do, Head of the Phu Yen Seafood Sources Protection Sub-department, said that a substance in oil called ankyl phenol kills shrimp and lobsters.
Le Van Thung, Deputy Director of the Phu Yen Department for Natural Resources and the Environment, on March 17 said that the department had discovered oil on the coast of many places in the province, including Hoa Tam and Hoa Xuan Nam communes in Dong Hoa district, and Xuan Phuong and Xuan Thinh communes in Song Cau district. The oil has curdled under the sunshine and drifted ashore.
Mr Thung said that provincial leaders were examining tiger shrimp hatchery areas in Xuan Thinh commune in Song Cau district, and the level of damage caused by the oil would be announced later.
According to Mr Thung, the only solution now is to collect the curdled oil and wait for treatment solutions.
When asked why the oil was only discovered in Phu Yen several days ago, while it appeared in other central provinces several months ago, Mr Do said that it was because of the sea current and the wind. He also added that the oil which appeared in the Phu Tho 3 shrimp hatchery area in Dong Hoa district in December 2006 did not cause economic damages to the area.
Meanwhile, the oil continues to hinder tourism development in several other central provinces.
