Volos Battles Environmental Crisis as Dead Fish Flood Coastline, Disrupting Commerce
Sunday, Sep 1, 2024 3:00 am ET
1min read The Greek port city of Volos, located in central Greece, has recently faced an environmental crisis instigated by extreme weather conditions, leading to an influx of over a hundred tons of dead freshwater fish clogging its rivers and surrounding seas. On August 31st, the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy declared a month-long state of emergency, committing funds and resources to expedite the cleanup efforts in the area.
Volos, a popular tourist destination approximately three and a half hours' drive from Athens, has been severely impacted by this ecological disaster. Reports indicate that more than 100 tons of dead fish have been collected from the area, with 57 tons of them being cleared from the Volos coastline in a single day on August 27th. The origins of this catastrophe trace back to last autumn when storms "Daniel" and "Elias" hit the Thessaly region in central Greece, causing widespread flooding. Freshwater fish from a small lake spread over a larger area due to the floods. Subsequent prolonged droughts lowered the water levels, causing these freshwater fish to be carried into the saltwater environment near Volos, where they could not survive.
Officials from the Thessaly region have noted that the issue of dead fish stretches up to 20 kilometers to the east, leading local authorities to employ trawlers and excavators for the cleanup, with trucks transporting the dead fish to incineration facilities. The commercial activities in Volos have been severely disrupted, dropping by as much as 80%, partly due to the strong odor produced by the decaying fish.
Volos Mayor Achilleas Beos expressed grave concerns over the potential long-term impacts on the local ecosystem, particularly on marine species like dolphins and turtles. Furthermore, the local Chamber of Commerce has announced its intention to seek legal recourse to compensate for the financial losses incurred by businesses in the area. By September 31st, despite nearing the completion of the cleanup, some vessels are still removing dead fish, with expectations that the process will take several more days to finalize.
Volos, a popular tourist destination approximately three and a half hours' drive from Athens, has been severely impacted by this ecological disaster. Reports indicate that more than 100 tons of dead fish have been collected from the area, with 57 tons of them being cleared from the Volos coastline in a single day on August 27th. The origins of this catastrophe trace back to last autumn when storms "Daniel" and "Elias" hit the Thessaly region in central Greece, causing widespread flooding. Freshwater fish from a small lake spread over a larger area due to the floods. Subsequent prolonged droughts lowered the water levels, causing these freshwater fish to be carried into the saltwater environment near Volos, where they could not survive.
Officials from the Thessaly region have noted that the issue of dead fish stretches up to 20 kilometers to the east, leading local authorities to employ trawlers and excavators for the cleanup, with trucks transporting the dead fish to incineration facilities. The commercial activities in Volos have been severely disrupted, dropping by as much as 80%, partly due to the strong odor produced by the decaying fish.
Volos Mayor Achilleas Beos expressed grave concerns over the potential long-term impacts on the local ecosystem, particularly on marine species like dolphins and turtles. Furthermore, the local Chamber of Commerce has announced its intention to seek legal recourse to compensate for the financial losses incurred by businesses in the area. By September 31st, despite nearing the completion of the cleanup, some vessels are still removing dead fish, with expectations that the process will take several more days to finalize.
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