Since the end of July 2022, huge amounts of dead fish have been floating in the waters of the German-Polish border river. Every day, volunteers pull tens of thousands of lifeless bream, carp, roach and catfish out of the Oder. On the Polish side alone, so far, 100 tons have been collected.
There is still speculation about the causes of the disaster. At first, it was thought that a high mercury content had caused the deaths of the animals. However, after discarding this theory, the possibility is now being considered that the spread of algae, which with high temperatures and low water levels produce toxic substances, may be related to death.
On August 18, 2022, Polish Environment Minister Anna Moskwa tweeted that tests of water from the Oder River had confirmed the existence of golden algae. These algae can produce poisons that kill fish and shells, but are not harmful to humans.
Shortly before, the Leibniz Institute for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) in Berlin had also reported the “massive” presence of the alga species Prymnesium parvum in samples from the Oder. In this regard, the IGB stressed that, if this assumption is confirmed, it is not a natural phenomenon, but “a problem definitely caused by humans.”
More catastrophes are feared
Polish environmental advocates criticize mismanagement of the river. In interview with D.W., Piotr Nieznanski, of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), explains that algae normally reproduce in salty water. The mines in Silesia and the Glogow region, he adds, dump large amounts of salt water into the Oder River.
“The death of fish is an alarm signal for the whole of Europe, which must rethink its management of rivers,” underlines the WWF expert. In many European countries, this year the periods of drought have significantly weakened river ecosystems: “Changes in water parameters, which, in part, are due to the fact that nobody controls what is discharged into the rivers, can lead to more catastrophes , equal to or worse than what is being experienced in the Oder”, says Nieznanski.
Controversial river regulation
For environmentalists, the attempt to regulate the river is another ecological sin. In 2015, Germany and Poland signed a controversial agreement concerning waterways. On August 17, the World Wide Fund for Nature asked that, in Germany and Poland, works to expand the Oder be halted. According to environmentalists, the river has to recover first from the impact of toxic substances.
Opposition criticism
For its part, the Polish opposition criticizes the late reaction of the government in Warsaw. Indeed, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, of the PiS party, acknowledged that he had only been informed of the catastrophe two weeks after it was first detected. As a consequence, the heads of the water and environmental authorities in Poland have been dismissed.
The poisoning of the second largest Polish river represents a severe blow to tourism and agriculture. By blocking streets, merchants along the Oder want to force the authorities to quickly solve the mystery of the dead fish. The government promises a special law to compensate companies, build new water tanks and modernize treatment plants. It is also intended to introduce a new automatic water monitoring system. (YO)
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
