Poland's government: probably chemical waste in the Oder

Created: 08/12/2022, 16:59

Dead fish in the Oder.

© Lech Muszynski/PAP/dpa/archive image

According to Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, the death of fish in the Oder was apparently caused by the discharge of chemical waste.

"It is likely that a huge amount of chemical waste was dumped into the river, and with full knowledge of the risks and consequences," Morawiecki said in a video message published on Facebook on Friday.

Warsaw - Morawiecki emphasized that all responsible authorities had been put on high alert.

Water is taken from the river every day, and the veterinary and health authorities are also involved.

"But the most important task now is to find the perpetrator, the poisoner." This is no ordinary crime, as the damage could remain for years, Poland's head of government continued.

"We will not rest until the guilty are severely punished."

The death of fish in the Oder has been worrying people who live on the river in Poland and Germany for days.

Thousands of dead fish were discovered, some of them near the city of Frankfurt (Oder) and surrounding towns.

According to the Polish water authority, ten tons of dead fish have been recovered.

"You just want to scream with anger," wrote Morawiecki on Facebook.

However, in Poland, as in Germany, there is a lot of criticism of how his government and the Polish authorities are handling the situation.

The cause of the fish kill is still unclear.

According to a statement by Brandenburg's Environment Minister Axel Vogel (Greens), an increased level of mercury was found in water samples in Germany.

However, it is not clear whether the mercury is responsible for the mass death of fish.

dpa