Cua Lap – the gateway of Phuoc Tinh fishing port (Long Dien district) in recent days has become the "death’s door" for boats and ships when getting in and out as for the state of sedimentation. This phenomenon has been warned for decades, but so far authorities have no remedy yet.

RISK OF LOSS AS THE SEAPORT IS BLOCKED

Phuoc Tinh is one of the largest fishing villages among fishing villages in the South. The entire commune has now more than 1,200 boats and ships, of which more than 1,100 offshore fishing boats with a capacity of 90 CV or more. According to the estimation of Phuoc Tinh commune, in 2011, despite unfavorable weather and rising costs of materials, the total output of exploitation still reached more than 89,000,000 tons. However, from earlier this year, Phuoc Tinh commune’s boats are being "locked" into place by the serious sedimentation.

Having come to Phuoc Tinh in the days of sea opening, fishers are fearing losses since they cannot sail away. Following the fishers here, we took place of 4 ships in distress at Cua Lap, among them, one was sunk. Along with sedimentation at the estuary, the boats ran aground in this area are accidentally confined more than 1,200 fishing boats mooring here. As calculated of fishers, if the estuary is blocked for a long time, Phuoc Tinh’s fishers will lose about VND125 billion.

HAVE NO EFFECTIVE SOLUTION

According to reflection of Phuoc Tinh ‘s fisher, the sedimentation of Cua Lap had taken place 10 years ago and was reflected on the authorities about this situation. To resolve this situation, dredging project was set up to widen canals, nevertheless dredging did not effect, the provincial People’s Committee, therefore, stopped the project. So far this situation has not been resolved, but is getting worse instead now.

According to the Department of Science and Technology, the province has 6 coastal areas and estuaries eroded or sedimentuary. In recent years, the Department has coordinated with relevant agencies to deploy various scientific research and applied solutions to prevent this situation. Many projects to overcome erosion and sedimentation at coastal areas and estuaries had been done decades ago, that was Phuoc Tinh dyke project...

The appropriate agencies of the province have also collaborated with many research institutions to give out an overall evaluation plan on the status of sedimentation in estuaries, and at the same time link the regions which have not been investigated in order to propose a synchronous solution to overcome the natural phenomena related to the coast. Accordingly, scientists have proposed, prohibited the extraction of sand dunes on the coast to prevent serious erosion. At estuarine areas, it is recommended to plant mangrove trees to protect the coast. At the places of serious sedimentation, it needs to deploy research to find out solutions for this situation...