VietNamNet Bridge - Con Dao Island is not only famous for beautiful large beaches and primitive forests, but recently also for beaches covered with garbage.

The Con Dao Islands, an archipelago in Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province in the south-east region of Vietnam, is a well-known destination for tourists. 

Earlier this month garbage was seen on sand banks, hanging over the edge of cliffs. In the mangrove forests on Bay Canh, the famous island, where sea turtles go to to lay eggs, garbage flowed there from ocean by high tides. When the high tide went down, the garbage is left and hung over trees from day to day.

A local forest ranger said that many beaches of Con Dao are full of garbage from the ocean.

“Garbage from many places goes to beaches. It cannot escape from the forests because it is trapped by tree roots and branches,” he explained.

“We try to collect it. But it comes again later,” he said. “There is no other choice than living with ocean garbage.”

Con Dao Island is not only famous for beautiful large beaches and primitive forests, but recently also for beaches covered with garbage.

It is estimated that about 900 cubic meters of garbage drifts to beaches in Con Dao district a year. This includes 100 cubic meters of waste oil.

The places which have the most ocean garbage include Bo Dap and Duong beaches on Bay Canh Island, Cat Lon beach on Ba Island, Dam Trau beach at Con Son Bay, Vong and Suoi Ot on Con Son Island. 

The rubbish comprises plastic bottles, plastic bags, fishing nets, footwear and lifebuoys. 

On most islands, garbage only appears when there is a northeaster, from October to March. But on Bay Canh Island, garbage drifts into Bo Dap beach from October to March, and then to Cat Lon beach from April to September.

As a result, Bay Canh receives ocean rubbish all year round.

Con Dao also has domestic waste. It is estimated that Con Dao’s people discharge 15 cubic meters of waste a day.

According to Con Dao National Park’s Board of Management, the park has to spend hundreds of millions of dong to collect garbage. However, rubbish appears again in several days.

In Con Dao, the only two ways of waste treatment are burning or piling it up.

A worker at the Con Dao Landfill said there were 3 garbage trucks that need treatment everyday (5 cubic meters for each truck). However, the incinerator can handle only one truck, or 5 cubic meters.


NLD