Mass death of clams ends in Thanh Hoa

On the morning of August 10, SGGP’s reporter recorded at the beach of Hai Linh Ward in Nghi Son Town, Thanh Hoa Province, that the phenomenon of dead clams drifting to the beach had almost stopped.

On the beach, piles of dead clams that drifted from the previous days are still there because they have not been cleaned up in time. Near the water's edge, there are still some trails of clam shells being swept by the waves, but in small numbers.

At the same time, Hai Linh Ward mobilized dozens of people and three excavators to clean up dead clams. An official said Nghi Son Town assigned the ward to clean up to ensure environmental hygiene.

Some fishers in Hai Linh Ward said that the phenomenon of dead clams drifting ashore happens almost every year, in the rainy season. However, clams died in large numbers this year. The causes of death of clams, according to fishers' experience, may be hot water or shock of freshwater. In the rainy season, fresh water pours heavily into the sea, causing salinity to decrease, leading to the death of clams.

Dead clams washed ashore are the surf clams Mactra Violacea – only found in the wild. This type of clam does not exist in Hai Linh waters but drifts to the shore from other places.

About half a month ago, fishers still caught them to eat. Lately, the seawater has had a stench, possibly caused by dead clams because most of them have only their shells left.

Previously, as SGGP Newspaper reported, on the morning of August 9, people in Hai Linh Ward suddenly saw a strange and rare phenomenon. Along the 3-kilometer long beach, dead clams drifted to the shore densely and piled up in large piles in many places.

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