Mass fish die-off in German Polish river worries conservationists

Mass fish die-off in German Polish river worries conservationists

Source: euronews

8/13/2022

Conservationists have called for an investigation following a mass fish die-off in a stretch of river flowing between Germany and Poland.

Huge numbers of dead fish have washed up on the banks of the Oder River, which flows from Czechia into the Baltic Sea, this week, with volunteers in Germany and Poland to organise clean-up operations.

Piotr Nieznanski, the conservation policy director at WWF Poland, said it appears that a toxic chemical was released into the water by industry, while low water levels caused by the drought gripping Europe have made conditions far more dangerous for the fish.

“A tragic event is happening along the Oder River," he said. "There is no transparent information about what is going on.”

Nieznanski urged government authorities to investigate the mass die-off in what is Poland's second-longest river.