Volunteers tried to save thousands of fish from suffocating in the waters of the river Po in Italy on Wednesday. The summer drought caused a water shortage, reducing the depth and number of natural pools in the river, according to the Regional Agency for Environmental Protection (ARPA).
Catfish, tench and carp overwinter in the pools and canals of the river, but because the temperature has risen, the fish got trapped in shallow waters and suffocated because of a lack of oxygen. Because fish have less place to overwinter, they overcrowd the areas where they can stay, which causes suffering and death.
The Po, Italy’s longest river which runs for more than 650 kilometres, suffered the worst drought in 70 years during the past summer after one of the driest winters in decades.
