On Son Island in Vietnam\u2019s Mekong Delta, Le Trung Tin scatters fish feed into his ponds, where dozens of snakehead fish leap through the surface in synchronised bursts. \u201cI taught them how to do that,\u201d he says proudly, tossing another handful of feed at his fish.
The scene looks idyllic, but Le\u2019s fish farm is a reluctant response to an escalating crisis. For decades, he made his living fishing the Hau River, a distributary of the Mekong. But in recent years, plastic waste clogged his nets and strangled the fish. \u201cI had no choice but to stop,\u201d he says. \u201cEverything was tangled \u2013 trash, nets, even the fish themselves. It was hopeless.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, Le relies on enclosed ponds using filtered water to keep his fish alive. \u201cI built this ecological environment free of plastic waste, chemical spills and [protected it from] extreme weather,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n