Kim Long was reported to have polluted the local environment on at least five occasions between 2020 and 2024, according to an investigation by The Outlaw Ocean Project. This included three instances of local communities saying that the smoke and stench emitted by the plant had caused respiratory issues among them and their neighbors.
In 2020, the Provincial National Assembly delegation organized two inspections of this plant and a feed mill in the same area.1 The inspectors found that the stormwater collection system and wastewater treatment facilities were in poor condition and not operational, leading to the emission of foul odors that affected the surrounding environment.2
In 2022, Kim Long was one of two enterprises in Binh Thuan province to receive a local government loan interest subsidy of over $72,000 for technological and equipment upgrades.3
In 2023, a resident from the area expressed their frustration: “I have lived here for 60 years and have been enduring the stench of pollution for 15 years. My family is severely affected in terms of eating, sleeping, and daily activities. Whenever the seafood processing plant operates, they release smoke into the environment. Sometimes, while eating, the foul smell contaminates the food, and we have to endure it just to get by. At times, it is hard to breathe, and we have to suffer through it.”4
This person continued: “Before, when my child went to school, friends would avoid them because they smelled of the foul odor caused by pollution from the factories. Some people have died from cancer due to inhaling this polluted air. The fishmeal factories, especially Kim Long, are the worst sources of environmental pollution, and the residents are helpless in the face of this problem, with no one to turn to.”5 Since the fishmeal plants in the area began operating in 2008, neighbors, especially children and seniors, experienced headaches, dizziness, respiratory problems, and allergies, according to Moi Truong, an environmental magazine.6 They submitted a petition to the magazine to “cry for help” as their living areas were severely polluted by fishmeal processing plants releasing waste improperly.7
In 2024, once again, residents reported that fishmeal processing facilities in the area including Kim Long, “emit foul odors and thick smoke, which has affected people's lives for more than 15 years,” especially during the fishing season from February to August.8 This resident further noted that in addition to the smoke, wastewater from some factories in the area leaked into the environment, causing unpleasant smells.9 Several government agencies repeatedly inspected the industrial park, but it continued to emit odors as of 2024, according to Saigon Online.10
On October 22, 2024, in the Waste Management and Emergency Response Plan for Bình Thuận Province for the 2023-2030 period, Kim Long Company was included in the list of projects and facilities that posed a risk of environmental pollution under Appendix II of Decree No. 08/2022/ND-CP.11
The parent company of Kim Long Fish Meal, Masi, did not respond to a request for comment.12