Authorities in Quang Ninh Province will remove the styrofoam buoys used at fish farms on the Bai Tu Long Bay and replace them with environmentally-friendly alternatives.
A total number of 9,930,000 styrofoam buoys are used at fish farms on Bai Tu Long Bay
According to local authorities, nearly 10 million styrofoam buoys at fish farms on Bai Tu Long Bay will be removed and replaced by environmentally-friendly materials by the end of this year.
There are now nearly 1,400 fish farms covering nearly 2,900 hectares in the area.
Most of the local farmers are using styrofoam for their oyster cages with a total reported number of 9,930,000 buoys. Many old styrofoam buoys are being left on the bay, causing pollution.
Quang Ninh authorities have planned to replace the styrofoam buoys for many years but only a limited number has been removed due to many local farmers being unable to afford the cost of replacements.
While local authorities hae been keen to implement plastic buoys by the end of this year, local fishermen are facing financial challenges to carry out the work during the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the fishermen, the prices for each styrofoam buoy range between just VND25,000-35,000 (USD1.10-1.50) while each plastic buoy costs at least VND50,000 (USD2.20). And they will need some VND1 trillion (USD44 million) to replace all the styrofoam buoys with the plastic alternatives.
A farmer, Vu Ngoc Tung, said that he had spent hundreds of millions of VND to buy over 9,000 styrofoam buoys in 2019. However, they have faced difficulties selling their oysters for the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Now I don't have money to buy the standard buoys," Tung said. "I hope that we will be given more time to gather enough money for the replacement."
Vice chairman of Van Don District People's Committee, Dao Van Vu, said that most local fishermen have supported the replacement of the toxic styrofoam buoys with environmentally-friendly alternatives to ensure sustainable farming. However, they need time while being affected by the pandemic.
"We’re working with some firms to help farmers with preferential loans or buoy supplies so that we can complete the work by the end of this year," the official said.