Up to 47.5 tonnes of fish raised in floating cages in the northern central province of Thanh Hoa's Tinh Gia District have been found dead, causing major losses for local farmers.

The mass fish deaths cause big loss for farmers in Nghi Son Commune

According to local authorities, the fish deaths have affected 207 floating cages owned by 66 households who raise fish in the Dao Ngoc Bay area.

Tran Van Thac in Nam Son Village said that his family had lost five tonnes of fish with an estimated loss of around VND400 million (USD19,000). The heaviest dead fish weighing 6 kilos, while the rest had an average weight of 3.5 kilos.

The provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment and environmental police have taken fish samples for tests.

Tuan besdies his fish cages

Dong Van Tuan in Trung Son Village said that this was the first time he had seen this phenomenon during his decade of raising fish in floating cages. Within a short time, more than eight tonnes of his family's fish suddenly died, leaving them with losses of VND500 million.

Many local residents also said that never before the bay water had changed colour. They urged management agencies to find the real causes.

In mid-August this year nearly 70 tonnes of fish raised in floating cages along the Ma River in Thanh Hoa Province also died, bringing total losses of VND4.8 billion to local breeders. The cause of the fish deaths has yet to be identified.