The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has approved an environmental restoration plan following an oil spill caused by a collision between two cargo vessels on the Long Tau River.
The vessel collision caused an oil spill in Can Gio (Photo: Hoang Huong).
The accident, which occurred in April 2025, released approximately 259 tonnes of fuel oil into the environment, affecting the Can Gio mangrove forest and aquaculture activities in the surrounding area.
City authorities have completed assessments of the polluted areas, identified locations requiring further remediation and developed a programme for environmental recovery and long-term monitoring.
A field survey conducted in late July 2025 found that oil residues remained in several locations.
Along rock embankments, around 90-95 per cent of surface contamination had been removed. However, fresh oil was still present in rock crevices and other hard-to-reach areas.
The total area of oil-contaminated mangrove forest is estimated at about 50 hectares.
Of this, nearly 28 hectares were classified as heavily polluted, the largest affected category, with thick oil deposits adhering to tree roots and trunks, limiting natural self-cleaning processes.
Areas classified as lightly and moderately polluted cover approximately 16.61 hectares and 5.3 hectares respectively, mainly located along mudflats and forest edges.
In protected and special-use mangrove forests, oil residues remain attached to roots, mud, sediments and various forms of debris.
Environmental experts have warned that residual oil could continue to be washed away and redistributed, posing ongoing risks to the Can Gio mangrove ecosystem.
Under the approved plan, environmental restoration work will be financed through compensation paid by the ship owner and its insurer.
The total programme is expected to cost about USD 7.3 million.
The Department of Agriculture and Environment will conduct further surveys, collect soil and sediment samples to evaluate remaining contamination levels and determine the areas requiring treatment before selecting contractors for clean-up operations.
The restoration programme also includes reforestation activities in affected areas.
Authorities plan to identify suitable sites for planting approximately 5.23 hectares of new mangrove forest to help restore vegetation cover and strengthen the natural resilience of the riverine ecosystem.
In addition, an environmental monitoring programme will be maintained for 10 years to track environmental quality, assess ecosystem recovery and evaluate the restoration of aquatic resources.
Comprehensive assessments will be conducted after two, five and 10 years to determine recovery trends and support long-term management decisions.
