On the morning of March 22, 2025, the People’s Committee of Ro Men Commune carried out the clearance and dismantling of all illegally installed water intake pipelines belonging to sturgeon farming households at the water reservoir serving Hamlet 2.
According to local residents, although the Ro Men Commune authorities took action, six households located upstream of the Hamlet 2 domestic water reservoir had still not been dealt with at that time.
A household illegally constructed a structure, blocked the water flow, and installed water intake pipes upstream of the domestic water reservoir in Hamlet 2, Ro Men Commune, without authorization, in order to supply water for sturgeon farming.
On March 25, the Dam Rong District Party Committee (Lam Dong Province) issued Official Letter No. 1354-CV/HU. The document requested the Dam Rong District People’s Committee to direct inspections of sturgeon farming facilities in the area to ensure compliance with regulations on aquaculture, including registration, licensing for the exploitation of surface water, the location of water intake points compared with those registered and licensed, changes in land-use purposes, and aquaculture planning.
The District Party Committee also called for the definitive resolution of the improper use of surface water for sturgeon farming in the district, in accordance with documents issued by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, including Document No. 3197/STN-MT-KS&TNN dated November 29, 2024, and Document No. 635/STN-MT-KS&TNN dated March 20, 2025. The authorities were instructed to prevent disputes, damage, and any negative impact on local public order and security.
In particular, the Dam Rong District Party Committee requested the Party Committees of the communes to direct their respective Commune People’s Committees to inspect and take action against cases involving the improper use of water resources for cold-water fish farming in their areas.
As previously reported by the Vietnam Organic Agriculture E-Magazine, in recent years, a number of households have allegedly extracted surface water without authorization and from locations that did not correspond to those specified in their water-use certificates at the domestic water reservoir in Hamlet 2, Ro Men Commune, Dam Rong District, for sturgeon farming. However, the matter had reportedly not yet been fully resolved by the local authorities, causing concern and frustration among local residents.
A household illegally constructed a structure, blocked the water flow, and installed water intake pipes upstream of the domestic water reservoir in Hamlet 2, Ro Men Commune, without authorization, in order to supply water for sturgeon farming.
After the Vietnam Organic Agriculture E-Magazine reported on the issue, on the morning of March 22, 2025, reporters from the publication visited the domestic water reservoir in Hamlet 2 and observed that the Rô Men Commune People’s Committee had established a task force to clear and dismantle all illegally installed water intake pipelines belonging to sturgeon farming households at the Hamlet 2 domestic water reservoir.
According to local residents, although the Rô Men Commune People’s Committee had taken action, six households located upstream of the Hamlet 2 domestic water reservoir had still not been dealt with. Meanwhile, the issue has persisted since 2023, despite directives having already been issued by higher-level authorities.
On the afternoon of March 26, when asked about the matter, Ms. Phan Thi Cam, Secretary of the Rô Men Commune Party Committee, said:
“Regarding the households illegally farming sturgeon in the upstream area, we have initially directed the Commune People’s Committee to establish a task force and encourage the households to sign commitments to reduce their water usage to the minimum necessary, so that downstream households can maintain sufficient water for farming and prevent fish losses. Administrative penalties will also be imposed in accordance with regulations. The plan is that, until the clearance is completed, these households will not be allowed to establish new farming operations. By August 30, any household that has not obtained the required aquaculture permits will be required to dismantle its facilities.”
Mr. Nguyen Trong Cu, a legal professional and overseas Vietnamese investor who returned to Vietnam to invest domestically, and Director of the Viet Duc Sturgeon Cooperative in Hamlet 2, Rô Men Commune, expressed his frustration:
“I have tried my best to build a CITES-certified sturgeon hatchery, contributing to establishing a sustainable foundation for Lâm Đồng’s young sturgeon farming industry. Unfortunately, I have not been fortunate because of the way the Rô Men Commune People’s Committee has handled this matter.”
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Minutes and photographs documenting the death of sturgeon fingerlings belonging to the Viet Duc Sturgeon Cooperative due to insufficient water supply (Photos provided by the Viet Duc Sturgeon Cooperative).
According to Mr. Cu, for many years the Rô Men Commune People’s Committee has shown signs of serious violations in the management of water resources under the Law on Water Resources. More seriously, there are signs of lax management, allowing households to block streams, divert water flows, and illegally extract water for non-CITES sturgeon farming at the domestic water reservoir in Hamlet 2. This has caused the reservoir to run dry, seriously affecting sturgeon farming operations of the Viet Duc Cooperative and other licensed farming households, as well as food security in the mountainous area.
“If our sturgeon die due to a lack of water, who will be held responsible?”
Following these developments, local residents have called on the relevant authorities of Lâm Đồng Province to direct the Dam Rong District People’s Committee and the Rô Men Commune People’s Committee to fully resolve cases of illegal surface-water extraction for sturgeon farming in the area surrounding the domestic water reservoir in Hamlet 2, Rô Men Commune. They also called for full compliance with all legal regulations and for the rights and legitimate interests of licensed sturgeon farming households to be protected.
The Vietnam Organic Agriculture E-Magazine will continue to provide updates on the matter.
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