Large quantities of dead purple clams were found along beaches in several hamlets of Yen Hoa Commune, Ha Tinh Province, on September 3. The shells covered long sections of shoreline, forming continuous bands stretching about 6.5km, with My Hoa Hamlet recording the highest concentration.
Local residents said the phenomenon first appeared about five days ago. Strong waves are believed to have carried the clams from waters more than 1km offshore onto the sandy beach.
Tonnes of dead clams washed up on the beach (Photo: Van Nguyen).
Tran Vinh Tuan, head of My Hoa Hamlet, said most of the clams had already died and decomposed. He estimated the total volume at around two tonnes. Combined with hot weather and sea winds, the decaying shellfish have produced a strong foul odor, prompting residents to call for an investigation.
Phan Quang Cuong, chairman of the Yen Hoa Commune People's Committee, confirmed that the incident has persisted for nearly a week.
“Because the clams have already died and decomposed, collecting samples for testing and determining the cause is difficult,” Cuong said.
He added that purple clams have washed ashore in previous years, but never in such large numbers.
Recently, a marine restocking programme released shellfish into local waters to help replenish aquatic resources. Authorities believe the dead clams may be linked to that release, although there is currently no evidence to confirm the connection.
Most of the clams had decomposed, making it difficult to determine the cause (Photo: Van Nguyen).
The Yen Hoa Commune administration has prepared a clean-up plan to collect the shells and maintain environmental hygiene and the beach's appearance.
Purple clams are a soft-bodied shellfish species known for their thin, pale purple-and-white shells. They live buried in natural sandy seabeds and are generally larger than common clams.
