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Article

30 Apr 2016

Author:
Christopher Zara, International Business Times

Vietnam Dead Fish Crisis: Critics Blast Formosa Plastics As Environmental Disaster Devastates Region

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Outraged citizens in Vietnam and across social media are still seeking answers and demanding action as large numbers of fish turn up dead along extensive stretches of the country’s central coastline, putting fishermen out of work and leading to a ban on seafood sales in the region.

The cause of the environmental disaster is still unknown, but many in the country have been pointing to a steel plant owned by a subsidiary of the Taiwanese conglomerate Formosa Plastics Corporation. The facility is located in the Vung Ang Industrial Zone and connected to a mile-long water pipeline, which is thought to be the source of industrial contaminants.

Earlier last week, the Vietnamese government said there was no evidence that the plant was responsible for the fish deaths, as Reuters reported, instead pointing to a toxic overproduction of algae, a phenomenon known as “red tide.” But that explanation did not satisfy critics who said the government has been slow to respond to the crisis and lacks any semblance of transparency or accountability…

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