Over 100 tons of dead fish collect at Greek port after climate-related mass die-off

VOLOS, Greece — More than 100 tons of dead fish had been collected in and around the port of Volos, in central Greece, following a mass die-off linked to extreme climate fluctuations, authorities said Thursday.

The dead freshwater fish filled the bay, 200 miles north of Athens, and nearby rivers after water levels were swollen by floods last year, followed by months of severe drought.

The die-off has hit local businesses along the seafront with commercial activity reduced by 80% in the past three days, according to Volos’s Chamber of Commerce.

Fishing trawlers have been chartered by the regional authorities, along with earthmovers, to scoop the dead fish out of the sea and load them onto trucks bound for an incinerator.

The fish came from Lake Karla in central Greece, a body of water drained in the early 1960s and restored in 2018 to combat the effects of drought.

“There are millions of dead fish all the way from Lake Karla and 20 kilometers eastward,” Anna Maria Papadimitriou, the deputy regional governor of the central Thessaly area, told state-run television.

“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,” she said.

Water levels rose abruptly last fall during a deadly storm that caused extensive flooding in central Greece, but have since receded due to low rainfall in subsequent months and successive heat waves this summer.

The mayor of Volos lashed out at the regional authority, accusing it of acting too slowly, while the city’s Chamber of Commerce said it was taking legal action to seek damages after commercial activity dropped by an estimated 80% over the last three days.

“Businesses along the seafront, particularly in the catering industry, are now suspending operations,” the chamber said in a statement. “A strong stench along the seafront is repulsive to both residents and visitors… delivering a severe blow to tourism in Volos.”