The search for the cause is underway – 300 tons of dead fish have already been removed from the Oder. achieved

“On the Oder we are currently experiencing an environmental disaster that will damage this valuable ecosystem for a long time,” Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) told the news portal The Pioneer on Thursday.

Fish go to waste incineration
One hundred tons were collected in Brandenburg alone. The dead fish are disposed of there in waste incineration plants. The search for the causes of the massive fish kill is in full swing and “is not yet complete”, according to the minister. In Poland, fish kills were first recorded in the region around Wroclaw at the end of July. A few days later, dead fish were also observed for the first time in Germany.

Algae probably as the decisive trigger
Experts suspect a certain type of algae that lives in brackish water. High salinity levels have been found in water samples from the Oder, which would have promoted the occurrence of a species of algae poisonous to fish. According to the experts, the high salt content is not of natural origin.

Lemke wants to consult with her Polish counterpart Anna Moskwa about the environmental disaster on the Oder. The topic will be discussed next Monday in the German-Polish environmental council, which has been planned for a long time, the Greens politician said on Thursday in Eilsleben in Saxony-Anhalt. In addition to further clarification, they want to talk about how to regenerate the Oder and achieve a better ecological status.