HANOI, Vietnam (27 Sep 2001) -- Overfishing and pollution are threatening 135 species of Vietnamese sea life which are in danger of extinction, state-controlled media reported Monday. The Hanoi Moi (New Hanoi) newspaper quoted statistics from the Ministry of Fisheries showing that the number of endangered species is nine times larger now than in 1989, when only 15 sea species were considered to be threatened by extinction. Healthy areas of coral, which accounted for 35 percent of Vietnam's total coral areas in 1989, have fallen to between 5 percent and 7 percent now, the newspaper said. Nearshore fishing has exceeded the allowable rate for exploitation of sea resources by 10 percent to 12 percent, it said. | | The newspaper said Vietnam's sea environment has been heavily polluted by waste dumped at sea. The Ministry of Fisheries recently submitted a plan to the government to establish 15 sea reserves by 2010, the newspaper said. The ministry has proposed setting up an initial seven sea reserves by 2005 with an investment of $373,000, it said. Ministry officials said they could not comment on the report. |
