Vietnam says beaches are now safe

Protesters hold placards during a protest calling for Taiwanese largest industrial group Formosa Plastics to investigate and voluntarily disclose its own findings on massive fish deaths in Vietnam, in Taipei, Taiwan, on June 17, 2016. The sign (left) reads: "Poisonous fish". (Reuters photo)

HANOI - A Vietnamese government minister says it's now safe to swim at most beaches in four central provinces where massive fish deaths occurred more than four months ago because of toxic chemicals released by a Taiwanese steel company.

The online newspaper VnExpress quoted Environment Minister Tran Hong Ha as telling a conference Monday that aquaculture is now also safe in most areas, but that research by the Ministry of Health is needed to determine whether it's safe to eat fish caught within 20 nautical miles (37 kilometres) off the coast of the four affected provinces.

Prof Mai Trong Nhuan, who headed a team of Vietnamese and foreign scientists commissioned by the government to study the impact of the disaster, told the conference that the chemicals, including cyanide and carbolic acids, are becoming more dilute, according to VnExpress.

Prof Nhuan said the marine ecosystem, including coral reefs, sea grasses and other marine resources that were seriously damaged, has begun to recover.

The factory, owned by the Group, acknowledged in June that it was responsible for the pollution that killed large numbers of fish off the central Vietnamese coast, and pledged to pay $500 million to clean it up and compensate affected people.

The country's worst environmental disaster has devastated the fishing and tourism industries in the region.

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