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Volos, Greece – The central port city of Volos has been inundated with tons of dead fish, a grim aftermath of last year’s catastrophic floods. Thousands of freshwater fish were carried by the floods to salty sea waters, where they perished.

Greece declared a monthlong state of emergency in Volos on Saturday, as reported by the country’s main news agency. This marks the second environmental disaster to hit the area within a year.

Cause of the Die-Off

Authorities have attributed the mass die-off to the devastating floods that struck Greece’s central Thessaly region last year. The floods inundated over 20,000 hectares of land and refilled Lake Karla, which had been drained in 1962 to combat malaria. The lake swelled to three times its normal size but has since receded drastically due to severe drought. This forced the fish towards the Volos port, which empties into the Pagasetic Gulf and the Aegean Sea. Unable to survive in the salty sea waters, thousands of dead fish have clogged the waters around the port city, located about a three-and-a-half-hour drive north of Athens.

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Government Response

In response to the crisis, the Civil Protection Emergency measure has been enacted, allowing local authorities to allocate funds and resources for the cleanup. Climate Minister Vassilis Papageorgiou declared the emergency, which will last until September 30.

The cleanup operation has been ongoing for several days, with fishing trawlers and earthmovers working to remove the dead fish. On Tuesday alone, authorities reported removing 57 tons of fish, and by Thursday, the total had reached 100 tons. Special nets have been placed at the mouth of the Xiria River to contain the large volume of dead fish.

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Impact on Tourism and Local Economy

The mayor of Volos criticized the regional authority for its slow response, noting that the smell from the dead fish has become unbearable. Tourism in the region has plummeted by nearly 80% since last year’s flooding, according to the local association of restaurants and bars.

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Stefanos Stefanou, the president of the association, expressed concern, stating, “The situation with this dead fish will be the death of us. What visitor will come to our city after this?”

Volos’ Chamber of Commerce has announced plans to take legal action against the regional authority, seeking damages for the economic impact of the disaster.

As the cleanup continues, the residents of Volos hope for a swift resolution to this environmental and economic crisis.

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