Hanoi lakes to be checked following massive fish die-off in West Lake

• Rotting fish cast stench over Hanoi lake
• Hanoi authorities warn locals against eating dead fish from West Lake

Authorities in Hanoi have called for the city’s lakes to be checked after tons of fish were found dead in West Lake.

In a directive released on Monday, Mayor Nguyen Duc Chung asked heads of the city’s related departments, districts and urban environment and sewage firms to increase the monitoring and management of all the lakes in the capital.

They were instructed to act promptly if any abnormalities were found, Vietnamplus reported on Monday.

Authorities were also asked to raise local awareness about protecting the environment, especially in the city’s lakes.

The directive came after dozens of tons of fish washed up dead in West Lake in recent days, which the municipal government said was likely caused by a lack of oxygen.

In a statement, the city strongly warned the public against eating the dead fish until the cause of their deaths is ascertained.

Some of the dead fish have been sent for testing and the results should provide conclusive evidence, environmental authorities said, without indicating when the results would be released.

Also on Monday, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked Hanoi to investigate the fish deaths in West Lake and publicize the findings quickly, according to a government statement.

The dead fish started washing up on October 1, and about 76 tons of fish have been collected and destroyed as of late Monday.

The Environment and Community Research Center in Hanoi last year studied 30 out of 112 lakes in the city and found that 25 of them were polluted due to uncontrolled waste and sewage discharged by both families and businesses.

West Lake is a large freshwater lake located in the center of Hanoi.

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