VOLOS, Greece (AP) — More than 100 tons of dead fish have been found in and around the central Greek port of Volos in a mass die-off linked to extreme weather, authorities said Thursday.
Dead freshwater fish flooded the bay, 320km north of Athens, and nearby rivers after water levels rose during the 2023 floods and months of severe drought.
The deaths have hit local businesses along the coast hard, with commercial activity falling by 80 percent over the past three days, according to the Volos Chamber of Commerce.
Local authorities have chartered fishing trawlers and excavators to scoop up dead fish from the sea and load them onto trucks bound for incinerators.
The fish came from Lake Karla in central Greece, whose waters were restored in 2018 as a drought prevention measure to combat the effects of drought that occurred in the early 1960s.
“There are millions of dead fish stretching for 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of Lake Karla,” Anna Maria Papadimitriou, deputy governor of the Middle Thessaly region, told state television.
“A massive operation is currently underway to clean up millions of dead fish that have washed up on beaches and riverbanks. Multiple contractors are involved in the operation,” she said.
Water levels rose sharply during a deadly storm in autumn 2023 that caused widespread flooding in central Greece, but have since receded due to little rainfall and a hot summer.
Mayor Boros slammed local authorities for responding too slowly, while the city’s chamber of commerce said it was taking legal action seeking damages after a sharp drop in commercial activity.
“Businesses along the coast, especially the food service industry, are currently closed,” the chamber said in a statement. “The strong odour along the coast is unpleasant for both residents and tourists and has dealt a severe blow to tourism in Volos.”
