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　　Vietnamese Protest Mysterious Fish Kill

　　Hundreds of people demonstrated in Vietnam onSunday against a company they accuse of killinglarge numbers of fish along the country's centralcoast.

　　Some demonstrators criticized Vietnam'sgovernment for reacting slowly to a major environmental disaster.

　　An official investigation has found no links between the fish kill and a steel plant operating alongthe coast. The factory belongs to a Taiwanese company, Formosa Plastics.

　　Public anger against the company was evident at the recent demonstration in Hanoi.

　　Protesters carried signs reading, "Formosa destroying the environment is a crime" and "Whopoisoned the central region's waters?" Others signs said, "Formosa out of Vietnam!" andcriticized Vietnamese officials for failing to take action.

　　Demonstrations are rare in Vietnam. Police are usually quick to suppress them. Last weekend,police officers cleared traffic to let demonstrators march near a big lake in the center of Hanoi.

　　Huge numbers of dead fish have appeared at fish farms and along the central coast since April6. The dead fish include rare species that live in deep water, far from land.

　　The fish kill has affected 200 kilometers of coastland in four provinces, with no known cause.

　　At first, the environmental disaster was thought to have resulted from industrial waste. SomeVietnamese and environmental activists believe it came from the huge steel plant.

　　Last week, Vietnamese officials said they failed to find evidence linking the fish kill to thefactory.

　　Tran Hong Ha, the top environmental official, apologized for the government's reaction to thelarge fish kill. He demanded that the Taiwanese company dig up a waste pipe at the steel projectso the government can study the waste.

　　At first, the government said the cause of the fish kill could be a "red tide." Red tides happennaturally when algae become so numerous that they discolor coastal waters. The organismsremove oxygen from the water. They can also release toxic substances that may sickenanimals and human beings.

　　The government also said that the fish kill could have resulted from chemicals released byhumans.

　　A comment by a Formosa official helped to fuel public anger in Vietnam. The official reportedlysaid that the country had to choose between catching fish and shrimp, and building a modernsteel industry.

　　Reports on Facebook say several hundred protesters marched in Ho Chi Minh City. However,state-controlled media have yet to report on any of the demonstrations.

　　Social media and witnesses said protests also took place in central Vietnam last Friday. Theysaid fishermen threw fish on a road after failing to sell their catch. The Reuters news servicecould not confirm the incident.

　　On Saturday, the government ordered the trade and agriculture ministries to help buy seafoodcaught during deep-sea fishing.

　　I'm Jonathan Evans.