In Poland, the probable cause of the mass plague of fish in the Oder River has been established

According to the Minister of the Environment of Poland, Anna Moskva, researchers found a large number of rare "golden" algae in water samples from the Oder River. They could be the cause of the mass death of fish in the river.

This is reported by PAP.

"Their flowering can cause the appearance of toxins that kill aquatic organisms — fish and molluscs, but they are harmless to humans," explained Anna Moskva.

She added that scientists confirmed that "golden" algae bloomed in the river.

“We are currently investigating the toxins that the algae produce... We are also investigating the root cause of the bloom. Undoubtedly, meteorological conditions, in particular drought and low water level, could contribute to this," noted the Minister of the Environment of Poland.

• The first reports about the mass death of fish in the Oder River came from Polish local residents and fishermen as early as July 28. The Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, fired the CEO of Polish Waters, the state-owned water company, and the head of the Environmental Protection Inspectorate over their response to the Oder pollution. German officials accused the Polish authorities of not informing them of the fishʼs death, but of being caught off guard when a wave of dead fish appeared in sight.
• Poland has even offered a reward of one million zlotys, or €210 000, to anyone who can help find those responsible for this environmental disaster.
• On August 17, 100 tons of dead fish were pulled from the Oder, which increased fears of an ecological disaster.