Fish die en masse at major Hanoi lake

A large number of fish went belly up at a major lake in Hanoi on Sunday, with local authorities pointing to a lack of oxygen as a potential cause.

Local residents were startled to discover another mass fish death at Ho Tay (West Lake), the largest lake in the Vietnamese capital on Sunday morning.

Bodies of a variety of fish, including tench, carp, and tilapia among others, were washed on to the lake’s banks, exuding a disturbing odor.

About 70 people, mainly locals, used their nets and baskets to salvage the dead animals and bury them for disposal.

“Fish started dying at around 10:00 pm on Saturday. The dead fish could weigh up to a total of several metric tons,” Cuong, one local resident, said.

Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung and relevant authorities arrived at the lake on the evening of the same day to directly monitor the situation.

The Hanoi Department of Natural Resources and Environment was tasked with collecting the dead fish to prevent pollution of the nearby environment.

Chung also called on authorities to give answers for the phenomenon urgently.

A variety of fish died in West Lake, Hanoi. Photo: Tuoi Tre

During an interview with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, Nguyen Huu Nghia, deputy director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said that water and fish samples had been collected for examination.

He added that accurate results could not be provided at the moment.

Do Anh Tuan, chairman of the People’s Committee in Tay Ho District, where the lake is situated, said that an on-the-spot test revealed that water in the lake lacked oxygen, which could have potentially lead to the fish deaths.

According to Professor Dang Huy Huynh, vice-president of the Vietnam Association of Conservation of Nature and Environment, the oxygen shortage could be the cause.

However, an examination must be conducted to uncover the reason for the water’s poor quality.

The incident is not unprecedented but it has never occurred on such a large scale, the professor continued.

“Competent authorities should inspect the content of wastewater discharged into the lake. We should not rule out possible contamination,” he added.

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