Fish are dying in huge numbers in the river Oder which flows into Germany and Poland. The countries warn of an ecological disaster. Around 100 tonnes of dead fish have been removed from the river.
Germany and Poland are doing everything they can to find out what is causing the massive fish kill in the river. The countries suspect that the water has been poisoned. People are advised not to swim in the river or to touch the water.
The German state of Brandenburg’s environment ministry said mercury has been found in the river, and according to them, it came from Poland. “And that was not reported through the alert systems, so we were only able to react when we saw dead fish,” the Brandenburg environment ministry said.
Poland also thinks of poisoning but said it needs until Sunday to analyze water quality data. They said so many substances were found in the water that could have caused the fish to die.
It will take years before life in the river is restored, according to Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. He considered it likely that huge amounts of chemical waste were dumped into the river. He added that the perpetrators would be found and punished.