Greek port city in a state of emergency over flood of dead fish

The port city of Volos in central Greece has declared a state of emergency following a massive die-off of fish, which residents fear could devastate their town and businesses. Over 100 tons of dead freshwater fish have inundated the Pagasetic Gulf port and nearby rivers, a disaster linked to extreme weather fluctuations and recent environmental catastrophes.

The emergency declaration, issued by Vassilis Papageorgiou, the climate ministry's secretary general of civil protection, aims to accelerate the cleanup of the area. According to the Athens News Agency, the state will provide funding and resources to address the crisis.

This environmental disaster follows a series of catastrophic floods in 2023 that had already wreaked havoc on the region. The floods refilled Lake Karla, a body of water drained in the 1960s to combat malaria, swelling it to three times its normal size. 

"After the storms Daniel and Elias last autumn, around 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres) of plains in Thessaly were flooded, and various freshwater fish were carried by rivers to the sea," said Dimitris Klaudatos, a professor of agriculture and environment at the University of Thessaly.

The sudden rise in water levels, followed by months of severe drought, forced freshwater fish toward the Volos port and into the Pagasetic Gulf, where they could not survive. 

"There are millions of dead fish all the way from Lake Karla and 20 kilometers (12 miles) eastward," said Anna Maria Papadimitriou, the deputy regional governor of Thessaly. "Right now, there is a huge effort underway to clean up the millions of dead fish that have washed along the shorelines and riverbanks... an effort that involves multiple contractors."

On Tuesday alone, authorities removed 57 tons of dead fish from beaches near Volos. Fishing trawlers and earthmovers are being used to scoop the fish out of the sea and transport them to an incinerator. Special nets have also been placed at the mouth of the Xiria River to contain the dead fish.

The impact on local businesses has been devastating, with commercial activity along the seafront plummeting by 80 per cent in the past few days, according to Volos’ Chamber of Commerce. 

"The situation with this dead fish will be the death of us," lamented Stefanos Stefanou, president of the local association of restaurants and bars. "What visitor will come to our city after this?"

The crisis has led to growing frustration among local officials. The mayor of Volos criticized the regional authority for acting too slowly, while the city’s Chamber of Commerce announced it would pursue legal action to seek damages. 

"A strong stench along the seafront is repulsive to both residents and visitors," the chamber said in a statement, noting that businesses, especially in the catering industry, are now suspending operations.

As the cleanup continues, the environmental and economic toll on Volos remains severe, with the region's recovery uncertain in the face of this ongoing disaster.

Subscribe to Storyboard: A weekly newsletter bringing you the best of CGTN every Friday