Across Europe, the drought caused a buildup of dead fish on riverbanks. This is the case of the Oder River that flows into the Baltic Seaand which flows along part of Poland’s border with Germany.
But there are other rivers in the same situation, from northern Serbia to Switzerland. In Italy, on the other hand, the Po River, which is facing a severe drought, is beginning to have an impact on local agriculture.
According to Reuters, volunteers and fishermen managed to remove some ten tons of dead fish along 200 kilometers of the course of the Oder River.
“A gigantic ecological catastrophe”. That was how, Przemyslaw Dhaka, head of State water exploitationmanager of the water administration in Poland, describes the situation encountered.
According to regional environmental protection authorities, low water levels due to The drought in Europe may have contributed to aggravating possible contaminationThe greatest suspicion is a strong oxidizing agent that, in contact with water, increases oxygen levels, which can result in fish breathing difficulty and consequent death, indicates the same agency.
Finally, the authorities left a warning to the inhabitants not to enter the waters of the Oder River, much less eat its fish, until the Polish government determines the causes of the contamination, Reuters rechecks.
Source: Observadora
