Vietnam Battles Plastic Blight In Idyllic Ha Long Bay
Muhammad Irfan Published May 31, 2023 | 08:20 AM
Ha Long, Vietnam, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st May, 2023 ) :Squinting in the bright light of a hot summer morning, Vu Thi Thinh perches on the edge of her small wooden boat and plucks a polystyrene block from the calm waters of Vietnam's Ha Long Bay.
It's not yet 9 am, but a mound of styrofoam buoys, plastic bottles and cans sit behind her.
They are the most visible sign of the human impacts that have degraded the UNESCO World Heritage Site, famed for its brilliant turquoise waters dotted with towering rainforest-topped limestone islands.
"I feel very tired because I collect trash on the bay all day without much rest," said Thinh, 50, who has been working for close to a decade as a trash picker.
"I have to make five to seven trips on the boat every day to collect it all." Since the beginning of March, 10,000 cubic metres of rubbish -- enough to fill four Olympic swimming pools -- have been collected from the water, according to the Ha Long Bay management board.
The trash problem has been particularly acute over the past two months, as a scheme to replace styrofoam buoys at fish farms with more sustainable alternatives backfired and fishermen chucked their redundant polystyrene into the sea.
Authorities ordered 20 barges, eight boats and a team of dozens of people to launch a clean-up, state media said.
Do Tien Thanh, a conservationist at the Ha Long Bay Management Department, said the buoys were a short-term issue but admitted: "Ha Long Bay... is under pressure".
More than seven million visitors came to visit the spectacular limestone karsts of Ha Long Bay, on Vietnam's northeastern coast, in 2022.
Authorities hope that number will jump to eight and a half million this year.
But the site's popularity, and the subsequent rapid growth of Ha Long City -- which is now home to a cable car, amusement park, luxury hotels and thousands of new homes -- have severely damaged its ecosystem.
Conservationists estimate there were originally around 234 types of coral in the bay -- now the number is around half.
There have been signs of recovery in the past decade, with coral coverage slowly increasing again and dolphins -- pushed out of the bay a decade ago -- coming back in small numbers, as a ban on fishing in the core parts of the heritage site expanded their food source.
But the waste, both plastic and human, is still a huge concern.
"There are so many big residential areas near Ha Long Bay," said conservationist Thanh.
"The domestic waste from these areas, if not dealt with properly, greatly impacts the ecological system, which includes the coral reefs.
"Ha Long City can now handle just over 40 percent of its wastewater."Single-use plastic is now banned on tourist boats, and the Ha Long Bay management board says general plastic use on board is down 90 percent from its peak.
But trash generated onshore still lines parts of the beach, with a team of rubbish collectors not able to block the eyesore from tourists.
Recent Stories
Punjab CM inaugurates Pakistan’s first Virtual Women Police Station
Dutch model Donny Roelvink embraces Islam
Experts raise concerns over introduction of 10-stick packs
Iranian president arrives in Karachi
Law Minister expresses Govt's resolve to address issue of missing persons
Rizwan’s batting order may be changed: Sources
Nawaz Sharif to visit Guangzhou exhibition in China
FM Dar not traveling to China: Foreign Office
PM takes notice of deliberate delay in tax cases
Iranian President visits Allama Iqbal’s mausoleum
Iranian President arrives in Lahore today
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 23 April 2024
More Stories From Miscellaneous
-
PDMA predicts gusty wind, rain with thunder, hails
3 hours ago -
Iranian president Raisi given guard of honour at PM House
1 day ago -
Intellectuals, writers accolades Naseer Mirza on his literary contribution
2 days ago -
Bahawalpur Adabi Sangat hosts memorable mushaira
2 days ago -
Cattle farming vital to alleviate poverty in rural areas
2 days ago -
Pakistan: A land of tourism, archeological wonders
3 days ago
-
Transforming education sector: from job hunters to job creators
5 days ago -
Amjad Bobby remembered on 19th death anniversary for timeless contributions to music
8 days ago -
Legendary actor Nadeem’s 26 films released on Eid-ul-Fitr days in 50 years
9 days ago -
Besant Hall Cultural Centre to celebrate evening with Sanam Marvi on 26 April
9 days ago -
Radio Bahawalpur presents program “Eidi Shidi”
12 days ago -
Radio Bahawalpur to broadcast Eid programs
15 days ago