On 8/6, Nguyen Truong Giang, Vice Chairman of Tan Thanh ward People's Committee, stated that the project's investor, Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), along with the construction unit, had worked with 8 of the 123 affected households to negotiate compensation plans. Each household was offered different compensation levels based on the extent of damage, with the highest amount being around 70 million VND. However, this is only the amount proposed by the investor and construction unit, not the final plan. "Most households have not yet accepted this compensation level," Giang said.

The project, which involves expanding and upgrading Ca Mau airport, has a total investment of 2,400 billion VND. During construction, saline water from the site overflowed into the internal canal system, affecting agricultural production in nearby areas. Local statistics indicate that over 120 households in Tan Thanh ward were affected, impacting rice, crops, and aquaculture. Significant damage was concentrated among households raising marble goby and eels.

The production area of residents adjacent to the project. *Photo: An Minh*

Determining the damage is challenging because most farming households lack invoices or documents for investment costs and output. This requires more time for authorities to calculate the actual losses. According to leaders of Tan Thanh ward, meetings with affected households are ongoing. After engaging with all affected parties, local authorities and relevant agencies will review and assess the situation to determine the final compensation amount.

Previously, at a meeting to address the incident, Le Van Su, Vice Chairman of Ca Mau provincial People's Committee, requested the investor of the Ca Mau airport expansion project to compensate residents for damages caused by saline water leading to mass aquatic deaths. In the coming days, the Ca Mau provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment will advise the provincial People's Committee to establish specialized teams to review the extent of the damage, serving as a basis for determining specific compensation for each household.

Dead marble goby fish collected by residents for disposal. *Photo: Residents provided*

Provincial leaders requested that compensation be calculated based on the average income of the entire production cycle, as the saline soil and water sources could continue to impact residents' ability to resume production. For context, according to Tan Thanh ward People's Committee, for a 1,000 m2 eel farm cultivated for 12 months, costs are approximately 238 million VND; if the survival rate reaches 70%, the profit is about 100 million VND. Marble goby yield a profit of about 55 million VND with a similar calculation. For rice, farmers earn approximately 800,000 VND per 1,000 m2 per crop.

Specialized agencies are tasked with coordinating with local authorities, residents, and traders to determine average income, based on the age of crops and livestock at the time of damage, to calculate appropriate compensation.