The beach in Dien Ngoc Commune in Nghe An Province has been turned into a virtual dumping ground by the local community.
Dumping ground
Dien Ngoc, the largest first port in Dien Chau District. But the smell is terrible because of piles of garbage and dead fish.
Le Van Phuong, a local fisherman said, “There are piles of rubbish here all year round. A lot of people just throw it and wait for the tide to take it away.”
Also, residents often discharge their untreated sewage into the sea.
Authorities are powerless
According to locals, the pollution not only affects their health but also marine life. In recent years, a number of animals, such as shrimp, crabs and fish have been on the decrease. Particularly, snails and arca are very rare to be seen at the beach. The nearby mangrove forest is also facing destruction.
Dang Xuan The, a local resident, said, “Even though authorities have banned littering, people are just ignoring the rules."
Dau Xuan Thuy, Chairman of Dien Ngoc Commune People’s Committee, said that several households and businesses have been fined from VND2 million to VND7.5 million (USD96-USD360.6) for pollution violations, but the situation has not improved.
He added that, “We currently still don\'t have a legal dumping ground, even though it has received approval from the district. There are problems with funds and site clearance, so many people have no other choice."
Some photos of the polluted Dien Ngoc fish port:
Mangrove forest at risk
People sift through the rubbish
Sewage discharged into the sea
A drain leads directly into the ocean
Untreated discharge from a seafood processing operation
Bag of trash
