Cà Mau Orders Removal of Misplaced Offshore Concrete Piles by November 15
A November 12 survey found that some concrete piles in nearshore waters off Đá Bạc commune, Cà Mau province, were installed outside their approved positions, posing a risk to fishing boats. Local authorities were ordered to remove the misplaced piles by November 15 and install warning signs.
On November 12, authorities in Cà Mau province surveyed the locations of concrete piles in the western waters off Đá Bạc commune and found that some were about 100 meters south of their approved positions. The piles obstruct fishermen traveling by boat to work at sea. The survey team asked local authorities to remove the misplaced piles in accordance with the approval decision and install signs and buoys to help fishing boats avoid them.
A warning buoy near the offshore concrete piles.（VietVance）
According to the Đá Bạc commune government, in April 2026 it granted a fisheries resource protection co-management group the right to manage 92 hectares of nearshore waters for green mussel farming. The group installed 63 concrete piles in the area under its management. Nguyễn Cảnh Hạnh, vice chairman of Đá Bạc commune, said the exact location and coordinates of the approved area had not been determined when the piles were installed, leaving more than 10 outside the designated area.
Surveillance cameras in the area where the concrete piles were installed.（VietVance）
Local authorities had previously received reports from fishermen that the piles obstructed passage and endangered their safety, but rough seas delayed their removal. Warning buoys already installed were also damaged by the weather. Fishermen from Đá Bạc and neighboring Khánh Hưng commune said some piles protrude only slightly above the water and are difficult to see at high tide. They also reported that boats have already collided with the piles.
Huỳnh Thanh Sum, head of Cà Mau province’s marine, island and fisheries enforcement agency, directed the Đá Bạc commune government and the co-management group to remove the improperly positioned concrete piles before November 15, 2026, install warning signs on the remaining piles, review the group’s activities at sea and develop a maritime rescue plan.
Source: VietVance
