Nearly 10 Tons of Farmed Fish Die After Hydropower Plant Incident

Nearly 10 tons of farmed fish have died in Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam, after a malfunctioning sluice gate at the Cam Thuy 1 Hydropower Plant caused water levels in the reservoir to drop by more than 3 meters within hours. Local residents expressed their inability to cope with the sudden disaster. The incident occurred around 10 AM on September 5, when the sluice gate of the Cam Thuy 1 Hydropower Plant became jammed. This led to a rapid decrease in the reservoir's water level, causing many fish cages to become stranded. Fish died en masse due to lack of water and oxygen, and suffocation from mud. Mr. Ngo Van Lung, a resident of Thanh Long village, Cam Thach commune, along with his relatives, worked to reinforce their damaged fish cages after the water level in the Cam Thuy 1 Hydropower Plant reservoir suddenly dropped. He used aerators and increased oxygen supply for the few surviving fish, monitoring them continuously in an effort to salvage his assets. Mr. Lung stated that his family had three cages of carp in the Cam Thuy 1 Hydropower Plant reservoir. Around 10 AM on September 5, he noticed no abnormalities, but upon returning home for lunch, he was informed by neighbors about the rapid river water withdrawal and rushed back. At that time, many cages were stranded and precariously tilted on the riverbank, with fish dying in large numbers. "The water dropped too quickly; the villagers had no time to react," Mr. Lung said, adding that such an abnormal incident had never occurred since the hydropower plant began operation. According to the households, within just a few hours, the water level in the reservoir below the dam decreased by about 3-3.5 meters, exposing the dry riverbed. Some fish cages were tilted and stranded, leading to fish dying from lack of water and oxygen, and suffocation from mud. Fish cages belonging to residents of Cam Thach commune stranded, causing mass fish deaths. Photo provided by residents. In Thanh Long village, Cam Thach commune, over 10 households were raising more than 20 cages of fish in the affected reservoir area. Ms. Vu Thi Thuy said that her two fish cages, which were her main source of income, are now almost completely lost. The Cam Thach commune authorities have sent out teams to inspect, record the number and species of dead fish, and guide the villages in compiling lists of affected households. However, according to Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien, Head of the Cam Thach Commune Economic Department, some households have already sold off dead or weak fish, making it impossible to complete the total damage assessment. The commune government has met with representatives of the plant and affected villages to discuss support measures for residents to resume production. The Cam Thuy 1 Hydropower Plant reservoir exposed after the incident. Photo provided by residents. Not only Cam Thach, but many fish cage farming households in Cam Tu commune also suffered losses. According to the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine of Thanh Hoa Province, Cam Thach commune reported 5.6 tons of dead fish, while Cam Tu commune recorded about 3.8 tons. The total number of dead fish in the two areas is nearly 10 tons. Mr. Nguyen The Nhat, Director of the Cam Thuy 1 Hydropower Plant, stated that due to the impact of heavy rains in the Ma River basin, the amount of water flowing into the reservoir increased, forcing the plant to announce an increased discharge rate from noon on August 24 to 11 PM on September 8, with an expected flow of 3,800-6,000 m3/s depending on the water inflow. Around the evening of September 4, the plant discovered that the sluice gate system was jammed. At the time of the incident, the inflow from upstream was approximately 700 m3/s, while the discharge was around 1,000 m3/s, causing the water level in the reservoir below the dam to drop from about 25.5 meters to 22 meters. Plant engineers immediately worked to fix the issue, and by 1 PM on September 5, the gate system was safely handled, and the water flow was regulated normally. No further fish deaths have been reported. "The plant is coordinating with the authorities to compile the losses of the affected fish farmers to have a support plan if the damages are determined to be related to operational errors or the water discharge and reduction process," Mr. Nhat said. Residents use tarps to move their fish to areas with remaining water to salvage their assets. Photo provided by residents. The leadership of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Thanh Hoa Province stated that they have requested professional units to collaborate with the authorities of Cam Thach and Cam Tu communes and the Cam Thuy 1 Hydropower Plant to continue verifying the incident's progression, clarify the cause, and tally the damages for each household. The agricultural sector also requires parties to coordinate in disposing of the dead fish, ensuring environmental hygiene, and compiling damages to report to competent authorities for consideration of support measures to help residents resume production and stabilize their lives promptly. The Cam Thuy 1 Hydropower Plant is built on the Ma River basin, with a designed capacity of 28.8 MW, comprising two units, with a total investment of about VND 1,300 billion. The first unit was connected to the national grid at the end of 2018. In recent years, residents in the Cam Thach and Cam Tu areas have taken advantage of the reservoir's surface water to develop cage fish farming, creating an additional source of income. Le Hoang Source: VnExpress