Greek authorities have begun collecting thousands of dead fish from a tourist port in the central city of Volos. The animals were displaced from their natural freshwater habitats during the 2023 floods.
The fish created a silvery blanket over the port. A characteristic smell alarmed residents and authorities, who rushed to collect them before the odor reached nearby restaurants and hotels.
The animals were swept into the Pagasetic Gulf by the return of storm waters from Storm Daniel and died upon coming into contact with the salt water.
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Storm Daniel, the worst ever recorded in the country, flooded approximately 142 square kilometers near Lake Karla in the Thessaly plain last year, destroying homes, crops, irrigation systems and flood control channels.
Stelios Limnios, 68, a board member and member of the Magnesia Environmental Initiative, said dead fish covered miles of water and expressed concerns about the potential spread of pathogen pollution that could threaten marine mammals in the Gulf, including dolphins and turtles.
“The Pagasetic Gulf cannot be treated as if it were the garbage dump of Thessaly,” he commented.
Residents of Volos, a popular tourist destination, are concerned that this will hurt business and affect local tourism.
Dimosthenis Bakoyannis, a local restaurant owner, said the town was destroyed by the 2023 floods.
Around 40 tonnes of dead fish have been removed so far by local authorities, and prosecutors have ordered an investigation into the matter.
Greece has seen an increase in intense storms and floods in recent years, which scientists say is a result of climate change.
This content was originally published in Video: Thousands of dead fish appear in tourist port in Greece on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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