Tons of dead freshwater fish filled Volos Bay and nearby rivers on Thursday after last year’s floods displaced them from their natural habitats.
Greek authorities have announced a series of support measures for local businesses after the waters swept away more than 100 tons of dead fish al central port of Volos.
According to a joint statement from the Ministries of Economy and Finance, Health, Environment and Energy, Labor and Social Security, Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, the battery of measures includes subsidies for companies who have experienced a loss of billing.
Tax and insurance payments will also be suspended and the ‘Thessaly Pass’ will be activated, a plan that aims promote regional tourism. In addition, the local government will look for ways to finance a comprehensive program to promote the area.
Freshwater fish filled Volos Bay and nearby rivers on Thursday after Last year’s floods will displace them from their natural habitats. Regional authorities chartered fishing trawlers to remove dead fish from the sea and load them onto trucks to take them to an incinerator.
The fish came from Lake Karlain central Greece, a body of water dried up in the early 1960s and restored in 2018 to combat the effects of drought.
“We are cooperating with whoever wants to help this phenomenon end as soon as possible,” Anna Maria Papadimitriou, deputy regional governor of central Thessaly, said Friday. “The regional government has declared a state of emergency“he added.
Water levels rose sharply last autumn during a deadly storm that caused major flooding in central Greece, but have since receded due to low rainfall in the following months and successive heat waves of this summer.
Experts say that no net was placed at the mouth of the river that leads to Volos, so when they were swept away by the flood, freshwater fish died after coming into contact with sea water.
The mayor of Volos, Achilleas Beos, lashed out at the regional authority, accusing it of acting too slowly. In a press conference, he said that the stench was unbearable and warned that decomposing fish could cause an environmental disaster.
The city’s Chamber of Commerce announced that it was taking legal action to claim damages, after commercial activity in this popular tourist destination reduced by 80% in three days.
“The companies on the seafront, especially those in the restaurant sector, have suspended their activities,” the Chamber declared in a statement. “A strong stench along the seafront repels both residents and visitors, striking a hard blow to tourism in Volos“.
