Source: Thanh Nien News World News 6/01/2007 12:51:51
Catfish stocks have been decimated due to inadequate and polluted water in Vietnams Mekong Delta, leaving farmers counting hefty losses just before next months Lunar New Year.
Farmers in An Giang provinces Phu Tan district had seen 70 percent of their stocks wiped out, the local fisheries department reported.
Elsewhere, in Chau Phu district too, farmers found tons of dead fish floating in their ponds.
In Dong Thap province and Can Tho city losses are estimated at hundreds of millions of dong. [VND100 million= US$6,250]
Bui Huu Tri, head of the Can Tho Fisheries Association, said the irrigation system had not expanded while catfish farms had, meaning water was in short supply.
Increasingly, what water is available is being contaminated by discharge from factories and farms, killing catfish.
Farmers said their fish were showing signs of drug tolerance that antibiotics were not saving them.
The problem has raised serious concern since fishery exports are vital to the Mekong region.
http://www.growfish.com.au/content.asp?ContentId=8204 