It looks macabre. It doesn’t smell good. It is over 30 degrees, and the humidity is high. In the river Oder on the border between Poland and Germany, over 100 tonnes of dead fish have been recovered. Fish still float in the water crust. FISH DEATH: In several places in Europe, many fish have died this summer. But not as much as in the Oder in Poland. Photo: MARCIN BIELECKI / AFP The dead fish was first discovered at the end of July. Now it flows westwards, for hundreds of kilometers down the river Oder. – We are afraid, even terrified. This is a disaster, says Mariusz Strzelczyk at the local fisheries inspectorate, according to SVT. Fire crews in Poland have used drones, boats and four-wheelers to try to retrieve the large quantities of dead fish in the 840 kilometer long river, which flows through the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany. STINK: 100 tonnes of dead fish and over 30 degrees. Photo: LISI NIESNER / Reuters CONCERNED: A dead fish in the river Oder. Photo: Patrick Pleul / DPA Prohibits swimming and fishing Why this large sudden fish death has occurred is so far a mystery. Several fishermen discovered large quantities of dead fish in south-west Poland in July. Since then, the same thing has happened in several places along the river, which flows west into Germany. There, the authorities have banned people from swimming and fishing in the river. German authorities have also criticized Poland for not warning the neighboring country about the large number of dead fish. They have called for extensive investigations into what they call an “environmental disaster”. The dead fish is now floating into Germany. WARNING: On the German side, the authorities warn of toxic water in the river Oder. Photo: LISI NIESNER / Reuters – We have dead fish everywhere. That is what Michael Tautenhahn, deputy director of Germany’s Oder Valley National Park, told AFP. He also says ducks, birds and beavers in the river are suffering. – This is only the tip of the iceberg, says Tautenhahn. To get to the bottom of the mystery of the fish death, the Polish authorities have promised a reward of one million zlotys, around NOK 2.1 million, for information that can help find the cause. MASS DEATH: No one knows for sure why the fish die-off hit the river Oder. Photo: LISI NIESNER / Reuters Asking abroad for help There are suspicions that chemicals have been released into the river, but this has so far not been proven. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki says it may take many years before the river is declared healthy. – It is a disaster of a very large size. Huge amounts of chemicals have probably been dumped in the river, says Morawiecki, according to the AP news agency. DISASTER: That’s what Poland’s prime minister calls the massive fish die-off. Photo: ANNEGRET HILSE / Reuters Several water tests have been sent to the Czech Republic and the Netherlands. Poland’s Climate and Environment Minister Anna Moskwa says that so far no evidence of poison has been found in the water. Polish scientists say they have found higher salt levels in the river than is usual. Extreme drought in Europe The answer may also be a warmer climate: An extremely hot summer has led to water shortages and dead fish in a number of rivers in Europe this summer. – It is not unique to this river system. Extensive fish kills have been reported from several quarters in Europe. What is most likely, and which I believe is the cause, is the extreme heat with low water levels that we have had this summer. That’s what Erik Sandblom, professor of zoophysiology at Gothenburg University, says to Aktuellt, writes SVT.
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