Everything is dead, the entire food chain – from brown trout to crabs to insect larvae. “It is an ecological catastrophe,” says Rudolf Zöls, head of the “Antiesen-Gurtenbach” district and himself one of the four owners of the Antiesen, which was transformed into a deadly zone by 150,000 liters of liquid fertilizer over at least 15 kilometers.
“The liquid manure introduces ammonia into the water and it is a strong fish poison. The animals are suffocating,” explains biologist Klaus Berg of the Upper Austrian Fisheries Association, who also got an idea of the situation on Tuesday. The “nobility” fled from a farm in Eberschwang – according to the owner due to a technical defect in the valve – to the upper reaches of the Antiese.
Years aftermath
“It all comes together. The river has low water and is already almost 20 degrees, so there is less oxygen in the water anyway,” explains Zöls. At least up to the mouth of the Riederbach, which currently carries more water than the Antiesen, the liquid dung cloud would have destroyed all life in the stream. “It will take years to restore an ecological balance here,” says Berg.
Protected animals are also affected
Simply throwing new fish into the water when the poison is gone is useless. “They would starve or migrate because there was no food,” Zöls explains, and, “No one will go fishing here for years to come.” In addition to brown trout, which is of interest to anglers, it is the often overlooked fish that are particularly affected. The rare and protected Mühlkoppen can be found in the Antiesen. “You can’t just buy them from the breeder,” says biologist Berg.
First, it must be determined how many fish have died and how high the material damage is. It is also about the long-term ecological impact. The biologist does not assume that there is any danger for the Inn, into which the Antiesen flows, since the vulture cloud will then be so diluted that it can no longer cause any damage.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
