A patrol team from the Halong Bay-Yen Tu World Heritage Management Board uncovered two cases of unauthorised clam farming along coastal areas.
At around 9.20 am at Co Lon Island, a man from Haiphong was found operating about 9,000 clam cages without permits, with two non-motorised boats and seven workers harvesting on site. He was ordered to cease operations and remove all equipment.
Ten minutes later, another case was detected at Ngang To Island, where a Quang Ninh resident was operating nearly 5,000 cages on 10 bamboo rafts over about 500 sq m, along with a wooden boat. He was ordered to halt operations and clear the site.
Since April 1, authorities have seized 12 wooden rafts, more than 2,300 plastic cages, four bamboo rafts and two vessels used in illegal aquaculture.
Officials urged residents to comply with regulations, dismantle unauthorised facilities and restore open water areas to protect the environment and support tourism.
