Mass fish deaths, coral damage reported in Vietnam’s Khanh Hoa

Nguyen Trong Chanh, deputy director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Sunday that his agency was working with relevant forces to determine the reason for the incident.

The situation came to light when a group of German tourists, diving with Vietnam Underneath Nha Trang, discovered numerous dead fish and damaged coral.

Nguyen Quang Huy, a certified master diving instructor, said photos shared by tourists and instructors suggest the incident may have been caused by blast fishing.

Huy explained that fish carcasses not only ruin the underwater landscape but also release toxic gases if left uncleared.

In a healthy ecosystem, species like crabs and swimming crabs act as natural recyclers, but overfishing disrupts this cycle.

Border guards responsible for patrolling and supervising Nha Phu Bay said an assessment is underway to confirm whether explosives were used.

Chanh added that the department has instructed the fisheries and islands division, together with local authorities and border forces, to investigate.

“If blast fishing is confirmed, violators will face severe penalties. In addition to patrols, we will mobilize the community to report and oppose such destructive practices,” Chanh said.

Le Minh Tam, chairman of the Dong Ninh Hoa Ward People’s Committee, acknowledged that despite patrols, blast fishing continues, often at night in remote areas, making enforcement difficult.

N.T.T., a 52-year-old resident in Dong Ninh Hoa, said destructive practices like using explosives or electric shocks have decreased but not disappeared, with occasional cases involving outsiders sneaking into Hon Bac.

Le Tan Ban, chairman of the Khanh Hoa Fisheries Association, emphasized that using explosives, chemicals, or electric shocks to catch fish is banned and subject to heavy punishment.

“But economic pressure still drives some people to take the risk,” Ban said.

According to some diving instructors, shockwaves from underwater blasts kill fish en masse and snap corals, unlike damage from anchors which uproot them.

Because sound travels four times faster in water than in air, explosions can injure divers even hundreds of meters away, causing burst eardrums, disorientation, lightheadedness, and irregular heartbeat.

“One possibility is that fishermen detonated explosives but fled when encountering tourist boats, leaving the dead fish behind. Such actions not only devastate marine ecosystems but also endanger divers,” one diving instructor explained.

Nha Phu Bay, about 15 kilometers north of Nha Trang, a popular beach destination in Khanh Hoa, covers approximately 1,500 hectares and is known for tourism and aquaculture.