The death of fish in the Oder has caused enormous criticism of the Polish government. But now she’s fighting back.
Potsdam/Warsaw – The extent of the fish deaths on the Oder is massive – now there are also political quarrels. In connection with an investigation result from Brandenburg, the Polish Environment Minister explained that there were false reports in Germany.
As of Saturday (20 August), around 200 tons of dead fish have been collected in Poland and Germany. The Polish fire brigade put the amount on Saturday at 158 tons. According to an earlier report by the Ministry of the Environment, there were at least 36 tons in Brandenburg.
Fish deaths in the Oder: Excessive pesticide levels discovered
It is still unclear why the fish died. In the search for possible causes of the fish deaths on the Oder, German authorities also came across excessive pesticide levels. Brandenburg’s Environment Ministry announced that samples taken at the Frankfurt (Oder) measuring point between August 7th and 9th found high concentrations of a pesticide containing the active ingredient 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid.
However, it can be assumed that the detected dose was not immediately fatal to fish. The active ingredient is used, for example, to combat weeds. The “Tagesspiegel” had first reported on it.
After the death of fish in the Oder: the Polish government with fake news allegations
The Ministry continues to assume that the environmental disaster has several causes. The excessive concentration of the pesticide over several days certainly had an impact on animals, plants and microorganisms. It is possible that the herbicide was present in even higher concentrations in the upper reaches of the Oder and was already heavily diluted at the Frankfurt (Oder) measuring point, it said.
The Polish government now spoke of false reports from Germany. “Attention, another fake news is being spread in Germany!!! pesticides and herbicides. In Poland, the substance was tested and found to be below the limit of quantification, ie with no effects on fish or other animals and no link to fish kills,” Environment Minister Anna Moskwa wrote on Twitter on Saturday evening.
Fish deaths in the Oder: Polish PiS repeatedly responded to criticism with anti-German tones
The substances were not detected in fish, Moskva said in another tweet, “An unjustified attack on agriculture. First industry, now agriculture? What comes next?” Poland’s national conservative PiS government is currently under pressure because Polish authorities were hesitant to react to the first indications of the fish kill. After the fish died, complaints were made in Germany that the Polish authorities had not complied with the internationally agreed information chains. Representatives of the PiS repeatedly responded with anti-German tones.
Meanwhile, a statement by the regional head of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Zbiegniew Bogucki, gave some hope. Accordingly, living fish can be seen again. “Where we recovered tons of dead fish a few days ago, live fish have now appeared,” Bogucki wrote on Twitter on Saturday. However, due to a lack of oxygen in the water, many fish are on the verge of suffocation and swim close to the surface. The politician posted a video showing this.
Oxygen content of the Oder continues to fall after fish die: City starts measure
In the port city of Stettin, which belongs to West Pomerania, on Sunday (August 21) the fire brigade installed pumps at three points on an arm of the Oder to aerate the water. The oxygen content of the Oder continues to fall, a spokesman for the West Pomeranian Voivodeship justified the measure. According to the fire department, no more dead fish were found on Sunday in the Lubusz Voivodeship further south.
The mass death of fish in the border river Oder became known on the German side on August 9th. Finding the cause is difficult. Scientists say a toxic species of algae could be a factor in fish kills. Various other substances are also being studied.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania announced on Friday that no abnormalities had been found when examining samples in the German part of the Szczecin Lagoon, into which the Oder flows.
Kustaktion after fish deaths on the Oder should draw attention
Meanwhile, the newly founded citizens’ initiative “Save oder die” drew attention to the mass deaths of fish in the Oder with an art event. On Saturday evening, the Oder oxbow lake on the banks of the village of Kienitz was bathed in red spotlights. The citizens’ initiative calls for a human chain on the Oder for September 4th. Local residents, school classes and other citizens should come to the river with musical instruments for a big concert. (slo/dpa)
