Lobsters farmed by many households in Phu Yen Province, south-central Vietnam have died en masse over the past few days, prompting the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to ask the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for help to determine the cause of the die-off.

Lam Duy Dung, vice-chairman of the People’s Committee of Song Cau Town under the province, said on Wednesday morning that several households in Xuan Thinh Commune had continued to report lobster deaths.

The provincial department hinted at directing the Research Institute of Aquaculture No. 3 to find the reason behind the mass die-off of lobsters in the province.

The department attributed the deaths of farmed lobsters to high lobster density in cages, the poor farming environment, and the hot weather.

Apart from these factors, the stratification of aquatic habitats, increased pressure of sea life, rapid organic matter decomposition, and a reduction in oxygen levels might also lead to the massive deaths of lobsters.

The department also mentioned a potential increase in the levels of some poisonous gases on the bottom of the ocean as one of the causes for the mass die-off.

The provincial department urged farming households to monitor lobsters, regularly check the health of farmed sea creatures, and collect waste as well as dead lobsters and fish for treatment to minimize yield losses.

Since May 17, lobsters farmed in Cu Mong Lagoon in Song Cau Town have been dying in droves, throwing farmers into turmoil.

“Farmers have been advised to take their lobsters to safe places or sell them if they are mature enough,” Dung said.

The vice-chairman of the Song Cau Town administration also stated that the authorities had launched a clean-up at farming areas, aside from taking the samples of the farming water for testing.

As many as 61 metric tons of lobsters and nearly 30 metric tons of fish farmed by 160 households in Xuan Thinh Commune have been found dead.

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