Taiwanese company fined for throwing dead pigs into Vietnam river

By Van Tram   August 13, 2016 | 05:00 am PT
Taiwanese company fined for throwing dead pigs into Vietnam river
Dead pigs thrown by Saigon River. Photo by VnExpress/Van Tram
The dead pigs kill tons of fish in Saigon River.

Viet Phuoc company in the southern province of Binh Phuoc will be fined VND290 million ($13,000) for polluting the biggest river in Ho Chi Minh City with dead pigs, local police said in a statement Saturday.

The agricultural company was caught throwing hundreds of dead pigs near the upstream of Saigon River, resulting in the death of about two tons of fish.

Water samples taken by the police have shown a number of pollution parameters exceeding regulatory standards. A pig breeding facility of Viet Phuoc has been subsequently suspended for four and a half months, the police said.

The company must also address the pollution within three months and pay VND8 million for collection of waste samples for analysis.

Viet Phuoc’s action has triggered serious public concern as environmental issues have been at the center stage of public discourse in Vietnam, especially after the mass fish deaths caused by Taiwanese steel company Formosa in April.

Dead fish found upstream of Saigon River. Photo by VnExpress/Van Tram

Dead fish found upstream of Saigon River. Photo by VnExpress/Van Tram

Earlier on July 6, local people in Binh Phuoc discovered an estimated two tons of dead fish upstream of Saigon River. The following week, Binh Phuoc’s Police Department and Natural Resources and Environment Department launched an investigation into the cause of the incident. 

It's not the first time Viet Phuoc was penalized for polluting the environment. Just last year, the company was fined VND300 million for discharging untreated wastewater down to Saigon River.

Saigon River, 256 km long, is one of the main tributaries of Dong Nai River, flowing into Dong Nai River in Nha Be District. It starts in hill areas of Binh Phuoc Province's Loc Ninh District, which borders Cambodia.

It is the city's main source of water supply, main waterway that facilitates a lot of trade and commerce, and hosts important facilities, including the Saigon Port, a busy container port network, and Thu Thiem Tunnel, one of the longest cross-tunnels in Southeast Asia.

Related news:

Stinky business: Taiwanese company caught dumping pig carcasses into Saigon River

800 tons of poisoned fish to be incinerated in central Vietnam

Drought and fish deaths drown Vietnam’s seafood exports

 
 
go to top