Numerous dead eels have been discovered in Lake Constance. The cause is still unclear. Whether high temperatures, the low water level or toxic substances are to blame is currently being investigated.
Constance – Numerous dead eels have been discovered in Lake Constance near Constance. As a spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture in Stuttgart announced on Tuesday, people have reported the dead eels in addition to the Seerhein in Constance in the port area of the ferry port in the Staad district and on the lake promenade. The Stuttgarter Zeitung and Stuttgarter Nachrichten had previously reported on the dead eels.
The cause of the current eel death is unclear, said the ministry spokesman. However, in the hot summers of 2003 and 2018, as a result of longer periods of warm weather, which were accompanied by low water levels, there was already an eel die-off in Lake Constance. Therefore, one can also assume such a cause with the currently determined findings and not material inputs as a trigger.
Environmental disaster at Lake Constance? Numerous dead eel carcasses discovered
According to the Stuttgarter Zeitung, there have recently been temperatures of up to 28 degrees in some sheltered bays of Lake Constance. Eels cannot tolerate such high temperatures. Another problem is the currently low water level in the lake. Already at the beginning of August, the level had reached a level that is otherwise not usual until October.
According to experts, the only thing that could help against the low water level and high water temperatures is rain. However, that is only predicted for the weekend. Whether other animals are endangered is currently not foreseeable.
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In the past few days, the mass death of fish in the Oder has made headlines. The reason has not yet been finally clarified here either, the authorities consider several causes to be possible. A “chemical cocktail” could be responsible, said a spokesman for the Federal Environment Ministry. However, no single substance probably led to the many tons of fish carcasses. (fmü/dpa)
