Vietnam Fishermen Attempt To Sue Taiwan Firm Over Spill

Hundreds of Vietnamese fishermen have petitioned a central Vietnamese court to sue a Taiwanese steel manufacturer linked to a catastrophic chemical leak.



Around 600 petitioners flocked to the courthouse in Ha Tinh province's Ky Anh township on Monday and Tuesday seeking compensation from Formosa Plastic Corp, according to social media reports.



While the petitioners were met with a heavy police presence, there have been no reports of clashes.



A factory owned by a subsidiary of Formosa was found to be responsible by the government for a chemical leak that led to more than a 100 tons of fish dying off the central Vietnamese coast in April and May.



While Formosa paid $500 million in compensation as ordered by the government, the petitioners have argued that the money isn't enough to offset lasting damage to the local fishing stock.



Earlier this month, Vietnam's health ministry warned that oceanic bottom feeders, such as crab and shrimp, were still contaminated with the toxic chemical phenol near the site of the leak. -