Thien hoa binh duong

Steel production line at Hoa Phat Hai Duong Steel Joint Stock Company. Hoa Phat Group plans to import US$1.44 billion worth of commodities from Australia in 2021, more than doubling last year’s figure. — VNA/VNS Photo Danh Lam Hoa Phat Group plans to import US$1.44 billion worth of commodities from Australia in 2021, more than doubling last year’s figure. The imports will include around four million tonnes of iron ore, 3.5 million tonnes of coal of different types and 145,000 cows. The group’s imports of machines, equipment and materials for production reportedly hit nearly $2 billion last year. Of the total, some 35 per cent, or $700 million, came from Australia, also over double the figure from 2019 and making the industrial manufacturer the largest Vietnamese client of the country. More than half of the total import value, or $364 million, came from coal, compared to just $115 million in 2019. The group’s purchases of iron ore leapt a whopping 19-times to $123 million in the first eleven months of 2020. Hoa Phat bought more coal and iron ore last year to serve production at its iron and steel integrated complexes in the northern province of Hai Duong and the central province of Quang Ngai’s Dung Quat Economic Zone. Meanwhile, it annually purchases hundreds of thousands of cows from Australia, with its herd accounting for 50 per cent of all Australian-imported cows in Viet Nam. With such soaring import numbers, Hoa Phat was estimated to account for 17 per cent of Australia’s total export value to Viet Nam in 2020, compared to 7.4 per cent in 2018 and 7.6 per cent in 2019. According to Global Trade Atlas, Australia’s exports to Viet Nam reached $4.4 billion in 2020, 16 per cent of which was imported by Hoa Phat. Last year, the group’s exports exceeded $1 billion, including $966 million worth of high-quality and construction steel. — VNS …

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Coral is seriously damaged by crown-of-thorns starfish (Photo courtesy of Nguyen Van Gioi) Binh Thuan (VNS/VNA) - During a dive on a small island off the coast of Binh Thuan province, Nguyen Van Gioi and other tour guides were able to see hundreds of poisonous crown-of-thorns starfish , which are coral predators. “When diving to look at coral reefs on Hon Tranh isle, we saw crown-of-thorns starfish seriously devastate the coral reefs,” said Gioi, a tour guide on Phu Quy Island in the south-central coastal province. He and other tour guides on the larger island of Phu Quy decided to set up a team "to catch these poisonous crown-of-thorns starfish to save coral." According to the Australian Institute of Marine Science, crown-of-thorns starfish are marine invertebrates that feed on coral and occur naturally on reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific region, and when conditions are right, they can reach plague proportions and devastate hard coral communities. The institute’s research has revealed that crown-of-thorns starfish are a major cause of coral loss on the Great Barrier Reef. These starfish can grow to over 50 centimetres in diametre, and one individual can consume over 13 square metres of coral reef per year, according to the New Heaven Reef Conservation Programme’s team in Thailand. When Gioi and other members of the team have free time, they go to Hon Tranh isle to catch crown-of-thorns starfish. “In one day, we can catch nearly 500-700 starfish. We often catch them in summer because the water is warm for diving,” Gioi said. Compared to the past, more and more crown-of-thorns starfish are appearing because of an imbalance in the marine ecosystem, he said, adding that starfish predators such as giant triton snail and sea urchins are overfished on the island to serve tourism. Sea urchins play a critical role in maintaining the balance between coral and algae. Nguyen Trong Tan, another member of the team, said: “Diving to see coral …

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During a dive on a small island off the coast of Binh Thuan Province, Nguyen Van Gioi and other tour guides were able to see hundreds of poisonous crown-of-thorns starfish, which are coral predators. Coral is seriously damaged by crown-of-thorns starfish. — Photo provided by Nguyen Van Gioi “When diving to look at coral reefs on Hon Tranh isle, we saw crown-of-thorns starfish seriously devastate the coral reefs ,” said Gioi, a tour guide on Phu Quy Island in the south-central coastal province. He and other tour guides on the larger island of Phu Quy decided to set up a team "to catch these poisonous crown-of-thorns starfish to save coral." According to the Australian Institute of Marine Science, crown-of-thorns starfish are marine invertebrates that feed on coral and occur naturally on reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific region, and when conditions are right, they can reach plague proportions and devastate hard coral communities. The institute’s research has revealed that crown-of-thorns starfish are a major cause of coral loss on the Great Barrier Reef. These starfish can grow to over 50 centimetres in diametre, and one individual can consume over 13 square metres of coral reef per year, according to the New Heaven Reef Conservation Programme’s team in Thailand. When Gioi and other members of the team have free time, they go to Hon Tranh isle to catch crown-of-thorns starfish. “In one day, we can catch nearly 500-700 starfish. We often catch them in summer because the water is warm for diving,” Gioi said. A member of a tour guide team catches crown-of-thorns starfish. Photo provided by Nguyen Van Gioi Compared to the past, more and more crown-of-thorns starfish are appearing because of an imbalance in the marine ecosystem, he said, adding that starfish predators such as giant triton snail and sea urchins are overfished on the island to serve tourism. Sea urchins play a critical role in maintaining the balance between …

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