One hundred tons of dead fish appear on the shore in Greece and alarm environmental authorities
Greek authorities coordinated an operation that involved fishing boats and excavators to remove the dead fish and transport them in trucks to an incinerator.
One hundred tons of dead fish appeared in a river near the city of Volos, in central Greece - Photo Reproduction / Vaggelis Kousioras / AP
An alarming phenomenon caught the attention of authorities and the population in Greece: more than one hundred tons of dead fish were found on Thursday (29) on the banks of a river on the outskirts of Athens. According to local authorities, this mass die-off is related to "extreme climate fluctuations." The freshwater fish covered almost the entire length of a bay in the city of Volos, north of Athens, and also spread into nearby rivers.
THE What Is Extreme Climate Fluctuations?
Climate fluctuation refers to any form of systematic variation, regular or irregular, excluding trends and abrupt changes. Climate oscillation, in turn, is a type of fluctuation in which the climate variable moves gradually and smoothly between successive maximums and minimums. These meteorological phenomena can directly affect people's physical and mental health.
Examples of extreme weather events include droughts and droughts, forest fires, heat and cold waves, floods and floods, landslides, cyclones, tornadoes, windstorms, and intense and prolonged rains. The global warming trend suggests that these extreme events will become more frequent and devastating. Climate change refers to long-term fluctuations in temperature, precipitation, winds and other aspects related to climate and weather.
Phenomenon in Greece
A man holds one of the thousands of fish that washed up dead on the coast of a city in central Greece - Photo Reproduction / Vaggelis Kousioras / AP
Water levels in central Greece rose sharply in late 2023 due to a storm that caused severe flooding and deaths. However, these levels have since decreased, due to low precipitation and repeated heat waves during the summer. The fish came from Lake Karla, located in central Greece. This lake, which had been drained in the early 1960s, was restored in 2018 to mitigate the effects of drought. The deputy governor of Thessaly, Anna Maria Papadimitriou, reported to Greek state television the death of millions of fish in Lake Karka.
Regional authorities organized an operation with fishing boats and excavators to remove the dead fish and transport them in trucks to an incinerator. The mortality has affected small businesses along the waterfront, causing an 80% reduction in commercial activity over the past three days, according to the Volos Chamber of Commerce. According to the chamber's statement, many establishments, especially in the buffet sector, are suspended. The strong odor that has spread along the coast is driving away residents and visitors, severely impacting tourism in Volos.
