One of Vietnam’s senior environmental ministers has been fired over the Formosa disaster which last year killed tonnes of fish and devastated the livelihoods of fishing families.

Luong Duy Hanh was the director of Vietnam’s Environment Protection Management Department which oversaw the construction of the Formosa steel plant in Ha Tinh province.

According to online news website Thanh Nien, Luong was fired for failing to properly consult and supervise the environmental protection unit during the plant’s initial construction and pilot operation.

A number of Communist Party officials and the deputy director of the environment agency have already been fired over the disaster.

The Taiwanese-owned plant caused havoc last year when it released toxic wastewater into the Vietnamese coastline.

It subsequently paid a $500 million dollar fine to the Vietnamese government.

Last month, the government gave the plant the green light to begin operating on a trial basis.