Fine Feared Too Small for Dead Fish Damage in Vietnam

AS IT IS 2016-08-17 Fine Feared Too Small for Dead Fish Damage in Vietnam

Observers and activists² in Vietnam are concerned about a fine against a foreign-owned steel factory for polluting ocean waters along the coast.

The observers and activists say the record pollution fine would not pay all victims of the environmental disaster. They also say it does not send a strong enough warning to other export manufacturers.

The steel factory, Formosa Ha Tinh, was accused of letting toxic³ waste pollute the ocean in April. The pollution caused 80 tons of fish to wash up on coastal⁴ beaches.

In June, the government fined the Taiwanese-financed steel plant $500 million for fish deaths along 200 kilometers of a coastline southeast of Hanoi. That is believed to be the largest fine ever against a company in Vietnam.

The plant apologized and agreed to clean up the wastewater system. But people familiar with the issue say the fine cannot cover the continued losses to fishermen, seaside businesses and local people. Some have developed skin diseases from touching⁵ the water. The sale of seafood⁶ has slowed throughout Vietnam. That has hurt the fishing industry.

Citizens hope Vietnamese officials will test the ocean water to make sure it is safe.

Other foreign investors⁸ are watching

How involved the Vietnamese government gets in the fish death case will send a message to foreign investors. Some people think the government went easy on Formosa Ha Tinh to protect the company’s $10 billion investment in Vietnam.

Foreigners have built export-manufacturing factories in the country to save on costs. Those plants helped to expand Vietnam’s economy by 30 percent over the past five years to $193 billion in 2015.

Le Cong Dinh is a lawyer at a law office in Ho Chi Minh City. He said the government will use the fish kill fine as an alert to all doing business in Vietnam. “… [W]e want them to comply with the laws, and satisfy the condition of the environment,” he added.

Environment Minister Tran Hong Ha told local media in June the fine covers only direct material damages. The money does not cover psychological losses to fishermen, who suffered a drop in earnings⁹. He called the fine “too small.”

Vietnamese living in Taiwan protested last week. They called for the steel plant’s investor⁷ -- Formosa Plastics Corporation -- to leave Vietnam.

Criticism of government

Vietnamese officials say the fish deaths affected¹⁰ about five million people. Some have not recovered, said Duc Truong, an independent reporter and member of the non-governmental organization Brotherhood¹¹ for Democracy.

Fishers in the oceans near the plant are catching¹² less fish than a year ago. Fish sauce producers are suspected of using the dead fish illegally, Duc and other activists said.

An activist¹ said environmental experts should test the water quality of the once-polluted seas. Tran Bang is an engineer and activist in Ho Chi Minh City. He said an independent report showed high levels of six chemicals. But officials in the coastal city of Da Nang told local media in April that its waters were already safe for swimming.

Words in This Story

toxic – adj. containing poisonous substances

beaches – n. areas covered with sand or small rocks that are next to an ocean or lake

alert – n. a message that tells people there is some danger or problem

comply – v. to do what you have been asked or ordered to do

1 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

2 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

4 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

5 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

6 seafood   

n.海产食品，海味，海鲜

参考例句：

• There's an excellent seafood restaurant near here.离这儿不远有家非常不错的海鲜馆。
• Shrimps are a popular type of seafood.小虾是比较普遍的一种海味。

7 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

8 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

9 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

10 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

11 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。

12 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。