Fish deaths in the Oder: "Anomaly" in the water - task force convened to deal with the environmental disaster

Created: 08/16/2022, 04:52

By: Lukas Einkammerer, Christoph Gschoßmann, Kai Hartwig

Thousands of dead fish are floating on the banks of the Oder in several regions.

The fish kill continues to puzzle experts.

The news ticker.

• Several tons of dead fish in the Oder: laboratory results should provide information.

  First analyzes pointed to mercury as a possible cause.

  Now the carcasses are tested for 300 different pollutants.

• Minister Lemke criticizes cooperation with Poland: Joint reconnaissance with Poland should not work due to a lack of information.

• Poland speaks of "false information": It is said that no water was recently channeled from Poland into the Oder.

• This news ticker is updated regularly.

Update from August 15, 4:20 p.m.:

“It was agreed to bundle the ongoing crisis response in a joint task force.” According to the Federal Environment Ministry, this was the result of the consultations in Szczecin, which took place on the evening of Sunday (August 14).

Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke, Brandenburg's Environment Minister Axel Vogel (both Alliance 90/The Greens) and his counterpart from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Till Backhaus (SPD), took part on the German side.

They met with Polish Environment Minister Anna Moskwa and Polish Infrastructure Minister Andrzej Adamczyk.

As the Federal Environment Ministry announced on Monday (15 August), experts from both countries are part of the task force, who are to work closely together to determine the causes of the fish kill and to develop the necessary measures.

The head of the Polish water authority was fired and the head of the Polish environmental authority was relieved of his post.

"I think the Polish side is in a completely different position now than it was a week ago," said Vogel.

The dead fish are salvaged from the Oder with heavy equipment.

© picture alliance/dpa/PAP |

Marcin Bielecki

According to Lemke, “top priority is protecting the population, limiting damage and identifying the polluter.”

According to Brandenburg's Prime Minister Woitke, it is "essentially important" to know what exactly triggered the environmental catastrophe and whether the dangers still exist or the poison wave is now over.

According to Vogel, however, the only thing that is certain so far is that the water of the Oder has an as yet inexplicable "anomaly".

The salinity and pH of the Oder are so high that they are "toxic" in and of themselves.

In addition, the oxygen concentration in the water is greatly increased, although given the high temperatures and low water level, the opposite would be expected.

It can be assumed that these measured values ​​are a reaction to the unknown substances that caused the fish to die.

Experts from both countries want to meet starting this Tuesday (August 16).

The environmental catastrophe will also be a topic in the German-Polish environmental council on August 29th.

Or: Laboratory examines fish carcasses for 300 pollutants - people should not touch water

Update from August 15, 3:30 p.m .:

In search of the reason for the mysterious death of fish in the Oder, displeasure with poor communication with Poland is growing in Germany.

"It didn't go as it should," said Brandenburg's Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke on Monday (August 15) before his visit to Lebus north of Frankfurt an der Oder.

On the same day, Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke pointed out on ARD that a lack of clarification of the cause would result in a “massive loss of trust, especially among the Polish population, but probably also here”.

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Brandenburg's Environment Minister Axel Vogel announced that the state laboratory was examining the Oder water for toxic substances - about 300 pollutants, including pesticides, should be tested.

However, it could "take several days before we have checked all the substances that we think are possible," the Greens politician said on

Inforadio.

Toxic mercury and the highly toxic substance mesitylene are currently not ruled out as the cause of fish deaths.

However, according to Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, a "huge [...] amount" of chemical waste was channeled into the Oder, and the Polish government offered a reward of more than 200,000 euros for the investigation.

In general, people should not touch the Oder water.

Volunteers are now recovering the fish carcasses, which are then burned on the site of the PCK refinery in Schwedt.

Thousands of fish carcasses in the Oder: Oil barriers are intended to prevent further spread

Update from August 15, 8:30 a.m.:

On Monday (August 15), a spokesman for the Schwering Ministry of the Environment announced the first results of the German-Polish meeting on the problem of fish deaths in the Oder.

The meeting, in which Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Environment Minister Till Backhaus (SPD) also took part, had taken place the previous evening in Stettin (Szczecin), Poland.

The environment ministers of Poland and Germany, as well as the federal states of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, agreed that oil barriers in the Szczecin Lagoon should prevent the floating carcasses from spreading more widely.

The Oder reaches the Stettiner Haff near Stettin on the Polish side, two-thirds of which belongs to Poland and has two water connections to the Baltic Sea.

In the German part of the lagoon - at around 900 square kilometers it is about twice the size of Lake Constance - no dead fish from the Oder had washed ashore so far.

Thousands of dead fish are floating in the Oder: laboratory tests are in full swing

Update from August 15, 7:10 a.m .:

The death of fish on the Oder continues to be a mystery.

Brandenburg's Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD) wants to see the situation for himself near Lebus on Monday, on the border with Poland.

There, too, emergency services and volunteers salvaged large quantities of dead fish from the border river over the weekend.

In addition, further laboratory results are expected in the state.

Among other things, it is checked whether an increased salt content in the water is related to the fish kill.

According to the Polish government, no toxic substances have been discovered in previous laboratory tests.

The fish had been examined for mercury and other heavy metals, said Poland's Environment Minister Anna Moskwa on Sunday evening in Szczecin at a joint press conference with Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens).

The fish kill on the Oder continues to pose a mystery.

© Marcin Bielecki/dpa

Fish deaths in the Oder: Lemke relies on cooperation with Poland for clarification

Update from August 14, 9:29 p.m .:

Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) relies on cooperation with Poland to clarify the fish kill in the Oder.

After meeting her Polish counterpart Anna Moskwa on Sunday evening in Szczecin, Lemke said that solution-oriented discussions had been held and that "good, common steps" had been agreed.

These include, in particular, improvements in the information chains.

There have been omissions in the past few days.

The German side was initially informed by anglers about the fish kill.

The aim is now to minimize damage, to inform and protect the population and to identify who caused the environmental disaster.

Lemke also thanked the full-time and voluntary helpers who have already recovered vast quantities of dead fish from the border river.

"It is clear that we are facing a really bad environmental disaster," said the minister.

The effects, which could possibly extend for years, are not yet foreseeable.

Poland's government: So far, no toxic substances have been detected in fish

Update from August 14, 9:25 p.m .:

According to the Polish government, no toxic substances that have caused the fish death have been discovered in laboratory tests of dead fish from the Oder.

The fish had been examined for mercury and other heavy metals, said Poland's Environment Minister Anna Moskwa on Sunday in Szczecin at a joint press conference with Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens).

In the coming hours, the fish samples would be examined for a further 300 harmful substances, including pesticides.

In addition, fish corpses are to be dissected and the behavior of the fish examined shortly before they die.

Moskva said water samples showed elevated oxygen levels, which is unusual for the summer period and low water levels.

It is possible that the water was oxidized.

This could indicate that the fish kills may not have a natural cause, but that there is a perpetrator who released substances into the water.

Update from August 14, 6:59 p.m .:

In connection with the death of fish in the Oder, the Polish water authority has denied reports that water from Polish reservoirs was discharged into the river between the end of July and the beginning of August.

According to the PAP news agency, this was incorrect information that was being disseminated in the Polish and German media.

Accordingly, the short-term rise in the water level is due to the weather conditions.

"In the Czech Republic, heavy rains fell at the end of July, which affected the flow and water level of the Oder," the statement said.

The Brandenburg State Ministry for the Environment wrote in a statement on Thursday that, according to the first analysis results, a "strong wave of organic substances" passed through the Oder near Frankfurt on August 8th.

There had been speculation in the German and Polish media as to whether barrages or retention basins were opened on the Polish side in order to flush possible pollution of the river towards the Baltic Sea more quickly.

Lemke demands clarification from Poland

Update from August 14, 5:07 p.m .:

Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) demands clarification of the background to the fish deaths in the Oder at the meeting planned for Sunday evening with her Polish counterparts.

The government of the neighboring country had already admitted that information about the environmental disaster had not been passed on within Poland either, she told

on Sunday .

"This information reached us much later." The aim of the meeting must now be "to solve this crime".

She expects clarification on what water samples have been analyzed so far and what the cause of the damage could be.

Lemke will meet her counterpart Anna Moskwa and Poland's Infrastructure Minister Andrzej Adamczyk in Szczecin at 6 p.m.

Brandenburg's Environment Minister Axel Vogel (Greens) and the Environment Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Till Backhaus (SPD), are also to take part in the meeting.

Lemke emphasized that the effects of the fish kill cannot be made up for.

"Once such a catastrophe has occurred in a river, the damage is there and can only be limited."

Left politician criticizes Environment Minister Lemke

Update from August 14, 2:30 p.m

.: The death of fish in the Oder is still a mystery.

Christian Görke, the member of the Bundestag for the left, has now asked the federal government and the Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke for financial help for the villages and companies that are located along the affected area and are severely affected by the environmental damage.

In addition, the left-wing politician strongly criticized the fact that no concrete cause for the mass deaths could be identified.

"I expect Environment Minister Lemke to push ahead with clarifying the cause.

A short visit and crocodile tears after the environment minister had gone into hiding for several days are not enough.”

Initial theories that the fish die-off was due to mercury or heavy metals in the water have since been dismissed.

According to the latest analyses, however, increased salt levels could be detected in the Oder.

"The high salinity of the Oder may have activated other toxic substances in the water or in the bottom sediment.

The toxicological examination of the fish will help identify any pollutants that may have contributed to the death of the animals,” Polish Environment Minister Anna Moskwa told the PAP news agency.

Fish deaths in the Oder: According to Minister Lemke, cooperation with Poland "obviously did not work"

Update from August 14, 9.30 a.m

.: During her visit to Frankfurt (Oder), Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke spoke of initial difficulties in cooperation with Poland.

The reason for this is missing information.

"The question of German-Polish cooperation obviously didn't work at this point," said the Green politician in an interview with local emergency services.

"Otherwise we would have received information earlier, at least from the state of Brandenburg or the neighboring municipalities."

Lemke had previously agreed with the Polish Minister for the Environment, Anna Moskwa, to work together to investigate the death of fish, in which German and Polish experts are to be deployed.

According to Lemke, agreement has now been reached on better coordination.

Fish deaths in the Oder: Polish government excludes mercury as a cause

Update from August 13, 5:59 p.m.:

According to the Polish government, increased mercury levels are not the cause of fish deaths in the Oder.

This was the result of the first toxicological test results from samples of dead fish, wrote Poland's Environment Minister Anna Moskwa on Twitter on Saturday.

“The State Veterinary Institute tested seven species.

It has ruled out mercury as a cause of fish deaths.” We are now waiting for the results of tests for other pollutants.

Update from August 13, 4:40 p.m .:

Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke travels to the Oder because of the death of fish.

On Saturday evening at 6 p.m. in Frankfurt, she wants to speak to emergency services, for example from the fire brigade and technical relief organization, as the ministry announced.

There, helpers had collected many dead fish from the shore.

According to the Federal Environment Ministry, Brandenburg's Environment Minister Axel Vogel (Greens) and Frankfurt's Lord Mayor René Wilke (Left) are also expected to attend the meeting.

Fish deaths in the Oder: Polish police are offering a reward of over 200,000 euros

Update from August 13, 11:30 a.m.:

Because of the death of fish in the Oder, Poland has offered a high reward for information that leads to the capture of a perpetrator.

The police have offered a sum of the equivalent of 210,000 euros, said Deputy Interior Minister Maciej Wasik on Saturday in Gorzow Wielkopolski.

"We want to find the culprits and punish the perpetrators of the environmental crime that is probably at stake here," emphasized Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

Investigations of the Oder: "Strongly increased salt loads" found

Update from August 12, 10:29 p.m .:

According to Brandenburg’s Environment Minister Axel Vogel, the Oder has “very much increased salt loads”.

That was "absolutely atypical," said the Green politician on Friday evening on RBB television.

Vogel's ministry said the measured atypical salt loads could be related to the fish kill.

The term salt loads refers to salts dissolved in the water.

Further investigation data “in particular on heavy metals, mercury and other elements” are still being clarified in the laboratory and should be available in the coming week.

With a view to possibly increased mercury levels, Vogel said that this would be checked further.

It could be a local phenomenon.

When asked whether groundwater or drinking water could be contaminated, Vogel replied: "We don't hope so." In any case, it was "a deadly cargo" that was transported in the river.

But he would not go so far as to see the groundwater resources in danger.

Poisoned Or: Toxic substances could reach Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Update from August 12, 8:55 p.m .:

The highly toxic substances in the Oder that are believed to be responsible for the massive fish kill could still reach the Oder estuary near Szczecin on Friday evening.

Depending on wind and current conditions, the pollutants could reach the Mecklenburg-Western Pomeranian part of the Oderhaff, the Kleine Haff, during Saturday, according to a statement published on Friday evening by the Mecklenburg-Western Pomeranian Ministry for the Environment.

The ministry advises avoiding fishing and fishing and not taking any water from the Little Lagoon.

The responsible authorities are monitoring the situation closely, and an examination of water and fish samples is being prepared.

Because of the authorities' failure: Poland fires top civil servants

Update from August 12, 7:20 p.m .:

Because they are said to have reacted too slowly to the death of fish in the Oder, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki fired two top officials.

The head of the water authority and the head of the environmental authority would have to vacate their offices with immediate effect, Morawiecki wrote on Friday via the short message service Twitter.

"I share the fears and outrage over the poisoning of the Oder.

This situation could not have been foreseen in any way, but the response from the relevant authorities should have been quicker.”

Minister Lemke warns of impending "environmental catastrophe"

Update from August 12, 6:15 p.m .:

Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) warned of an impending environmental disaster in view of the massive fish kill in the Oder.

"The death of fish in the Oder shocks and worries me a lot," the Greens politician told the editorial network Germany on Friday.

"An environmental catastrophe is looming here." So far, the cause was still unclear, explained the minister - and at the same time emphasized that it was important to clarify the events "completely".

"At the moment, many sides are working flat out to clarify the reasons for the mass deaths of fish and thus to keep potential further consequential damage as low as possible," said Lemke.

The Environment Minister promised the Brandenburg authorities, who are responsible for the processing on the German side, of support.

According to their own statements, their ministry also exchanges information with the Polish authorities

Prime Minister of Poland: "Will not rest until the culprits are severely punished"

Update from August 12, 5:24 p.m .:

With a view to the death of fish in the Oder, Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki spoke on Facebook with a video message.

"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.

Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announces a "harsh punishment" for the "poisoner".

(Archive image) © Marcin Obara / dpa

All responsible authorities are now on high alert, the water from the river is checked daily, and the veterinary and health authorities are also involved.

"But the most important task now is to find the culprit, 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." 

Or: The environmental administration office provides further details - a lack of oxygen is not the reason

Update from August 12, 4:14 p.m .:

According to the head of the environmental administration in the Märkisch-Oderland district, Gregor Beyer, the potential explanation that the fish die could be due to a lack of oxygen can now be ruled out.

"We have, quite unusually, even more oxygen in the Oder," says Beyer.

He also criticizes the fact that due to a lack of notification from Poland, German authorities "were only able to react when a fish kill was directly observed." According to the Polish environmental protection agency, the fish kill was probably caused by water pollution by industry.

Beyer said: "We know from various measurements that we were able to collect immediately that a 30-centimeter water wave went through the Oder." However, whether the same wave also contained toxins is currently "not yet 100 percent known."

Federal Environment Ministry criticizes failure of the reporting chain - "We need clarity now"

Update from August 12, 3:40 p.m.:

“In fact, we know that this reporting chain, which is intended for such cases, did not work,” said a spokesman for the Federal Ministry for the Environment in Berlin.

What is meant is the early reporting of fish deaths on the Polish side.

The reporting chain failed by Thursday (August 11).

"Yesterday there was finally the message that should have come from the Polish side.

But by then the pollution on the German side was already known.”

The ministry, headed by Steffi Lemke (Greens), is currently in contact with the Polish government and the Ministry of Infrastructure there, as well as the Polish embassy, ​​"to actually bring clarity as quickly as possible," said the ministry spokesman.

There is also contact with the Brandenburg authorities, who are primarily responsible for processing.

"We now need clarity about the substances that are actually in the water there." The exact cause of the mass extinction is still unclear.

A combination of several factors such as heat, low water supply and toxins is possible, according to Brandenburg Environment Minister Axel Vogel (Greens) on Friday (August 12).

Brandenburg's Environment Minister: "Don't know if they are hazardous waste" - the cause of fish deaths is still unclear

Update from August 12, 2:45 p.m .:

“For the Oder, as an ecologically valuable body of water, this is a blow from which it will probably not recover for several years,” said Brandenburg’s Environment Minister Axel Vogel on Friday (August 12) now in Schwedt on a visit to the region.

According to the Greens politician, the masses of dead fish not only meant an end per se, but "[if] the zooplankton, i.e. the small creatures in the Oder, are also damaged - and this can be assumed - it will take a long time until enough food for the fish can be found in the Oder again.”

The Environment Minister of Brandenburg, Axel Vogel, is answering reporters' questions on the banks of the Oder.

© Patrick Pleul picture alliance/dpa

With regard to the cause of the fish deaths, one is still groping in the dark, since one does not know "which substances were actually introduced into the Oder," says Vogel.

"We have indications from the Polish side that around July 28 near Oppeln, i.e. near Breslau, substances got into the Oder, which triggered a fish kill there, which rolled down the Oder to us." The missing ones Information also raised uncertainty as to the extent to which poisoned or dead fish carcasses could pose a risk to scavengers and other animals.

"At the moment we don't know whether these fish should be declared as hazardous waste," Vogel said.

However, it was "completely clear that disposal has to take place."

Fish deaths in the Oder: test results are expected on Sunday at the earliest

Update vom 12. August, 11.27 Uhr: Frühestens am Sonntag (14. August) wird Polen die Untersuchungsergebnisse zu den massenweise verendeten Fischen aus der Oder vorlegen können. Bislang habe das Staatliche Forschungsinstitut in Pulawy noch keine Fische erhalten, sagte der Leiter Krzysztof Niemczuk am Freitag der Nachrichtenagentur PAP.

Die Fische sollen auf Metalle, Pestizide und andere giftige Stoffe untersucht werden. Niemczuk: „Es gibt so viele Substanzen, die das Fischsterben verursacht haben könnten, dass wir zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt nicht sagen können, was die Ursache sein könnte.“

Kritik in Polen wächst: Behörden sollen bereits seit Ende Juli über die Vergiftung der Oder Bescheid wissen

In Polen wächst derweil die Kritik an einer zu langsamen Reaktion der Behörden und der Regierung auf das Fischsterben. „Die polnische Seite hat seit dem 26. Juli Informationen über die Vergiftung, Deutschland seit vorgestern. Nach knapp zwei Tagen haben sie mitgeteilt, dass die Ursache stark giftige Quecksilberverbindungen sein könnten. Polens Regierung weiß dies bis heute nicht, obwohl die Katastrophe bereits zwei Wochen zurückliegt“, sagte der Bürgermeister des Ortes Krosno Odrzanskie, Marek Cebula, der Zeitung „Gazeta Wyborcza“.

Auch Brandenburgs Umweltminister Axel Vogel hatte die polnischen Behörden kritisiert. Gegenüber dem RBB sagte er am Donnerstag (11. August), man wisse „nur von Dritten und aus Medien, dass in größerem Umfang Lösungsmittel freigesetzt wurden, die möglicherweise für das Fischsterben mitverantwortlich“ seien. „Es ist festzustellen, dass die vereinbarten Meldewege nicht eingehalten wurden und wir deswegen auch viele Informationen nicht haben, die wir hätten haben sollen“, ergänzte der Grünen-Politiker.

Mögliche Ursache: Erste Analysen weisen auf Quecksilber hin

Update vom 12. August, 9.46 Uhr: Das Fischsterben in der Oder könnte womöglich weitergehen. Mit weitreichenden Folgen für den Nationalpark Unteres Odertal. Davon gehen Naturschützer aus. Möglicherweise wurde das Fischsterben durch eine Quecksilberbelastung ausgelöst. Wasserproben nach dem Fischsterben in der Oder in Brandenburg haben Hinweise darauf ergeben. „Seit gestern Abend gibt es die ersten Ergebnisse. Die haben wir zwar noch nicht offiziell, aber es deutet in der Tat doch auf eine massive Belastung mit Quecksilber hin als ein Faktor“, sagte der Leiter der Umweltverwaltung im Kreis Märkisch-Oderland, Gregor Beyer, am Freitagmorgen (12.August) im RBB-Inforadio. „Ob das der alleinige ist, wissen wir nicht.“

„Die Auswirkungen sind einfach furchtbar“, sagte der stellvertretende Nationalparkleiter Michael Tautenhahn am Morgen des Freitags (12. August) der Deutschen Presse-Agentur. „Für den Nationalpark ist das schlichtweg eine Katastrophe.“

Tote Fische: „Die Vergiftungswelle ist komplett durch die Oder gegangen“

Betroffen seien Tiere und Pflanzen und auch die touristische Entwicklung der Region. „Die Vergiftungswelle ist komplett durch die Oder gegangen“, sagte Tautenhahn. Tote Fische habe man über die gesamte Strombreite treiben sehen: Zander, Welse, Gründlinge und Steinbeißer. Seeadler und andere Vögel könnten nun das Gift durch die toten Fische aufnehmen.

Tautenhahn rechnet aber auch mit einem Imageschaden für den Nationalpark: „Es ist ein vergiftetes Katastrophengebiet.“ Er befürchte, dass viele Menschen nun einen Bogen um den Nationalpark machen würden. Der Nationalpark Unteres Odertal ganz im Osten Brandenburgs zählt zu den artenreichsten Lebensräumen in Deutschland.

Mehrere Tonnen tote Fische in der Oder – Warten auf die Laborergebnisse

Update vom 12. August, 8.20 Uhr: Das brandenburgische Umweltministerium setzt die Untersuchung des massenhaften Fischsterbens in der Oder fort. Am Freitag (12. August) werden weitere Labor-Ergebnisse erwartet. Am Donnerstag (11. August) berichtete das Landesumweltministerium, nach ersten Analysen zeichne sich ab, dass ein noch unbekannter, toxischer Stoff die Oder durchlaufe. Unklar blieb, was die Ursache dafür ist. Das Landesumweltamt lässt Wasserproben auswerten. Aber auch tote Fische werden untersucht.

Die Bevölkerung wird weiter aufgerufen, den Kontakt mit dem Wasser aus der Oder zu meiden. In mehreren Regionen in Brandenburg mit Oder-Abschnitten – von der Stadt Frankfurt (Oder) bis in den Kreis Uckermark – wurden tote Fische gefunden.

Wasserverschmutzung durch die Industrie als mögliche Ursache für das Fischsterben in der Oder

Update vom 11. August, 21.40 Uhr: Laut Erkenntnissen der polnischen Umweltschutzbehörde ist das Fischsterben in der Oder wahrscheinlich von einer Wasserverschmutzung durch die Industrie ausgelöst worden. „Alles deutet darauf hin, dass die Verschmutzung der Oder, die zum Sterben zahlreicher Fische geführt hat, industriellen Ursprungs sein könnte“, erklärte Magda Gosk, stellvertretende Leiterin der Behörde, am Donnerstag (11. August). Mit Drohnenüberflügen versuche man nun, potenzielle Verschmutzungsquellen aufzuspüren und festzustellen, in welchem Zustand der Fluss sei.

Zudem untersuche ihre Behörde, um welche Substanz es sich handelt. Und „vor allem, wer diese Substanz wo in die Oder eingeleitet hat“, fügte Gosk hinzu. Das Fischsterben in der Oder beunruhigt seit Tagen die Menschen in Brandenburg an der Grenze zu Polen. Tausende tote Fische wurden in dem Fluss entdeckt, ein Teil davon auf Höhe der Stadt Frankfurt (Oder) und umliegender Orte.

Fischsterben in der Oder: Tausende tote Tiere – Bevölkerung soll Berührung mit Flusswasser meiden

Erstmeldung vom 11. August: Potsdam – Ein massives Fischsterben entlang der Oder gibt derzeit Rätsel auf. Die genauen Gründe dafür sind nach wie vor unklar. Unterdessen werden an immer mehr Stellen in Brandenburg tote Fische gefunden. Nach Angaben der dortigen Verwaltungsbehörde war auch der Oderabschnitt im Kreis Uckermark am Donnerstag (11. August) davon betroffen. Man habe sehr viele Kadaver festgestellt, hieß es.

Inzwischen hat auch das Landeskriminalamt in Brandenburg Ermittlungen zu dem Fischsterben aufgenommen. Behörden hatten Wasserproben entnommen, die derzeit noch ausgewertet werden. Schon zuvor hatte es behördliche Warnungen an die Bevölkerung gegeben, den Kontakt mit dem Wasser aus der Oder zu vermeiden. Diese blieben vorerst bestehen.

The mood on the border with Poland is depressed.

The residents are extremely worried about the large fish kill in the Oder, which is currently also struggling with low water.

Based on eyewitness reports, the State Office for the Environment in Brandenburg assumes several tons of dead fish.

There are dead fish on the banks of the Oder near Ziegenwerder Island in Frankfurt (Oder).

© Frank Hammerschmidt/dpa

Fish deaths in the Oder: Brandenburg's Minister of the Environment criticizes Poland - "Reporting channels not observed"

Derweil wächst die Kritik an Polen, das Nachbarland habe deutsche Behörden nicht rechtzeitig informiert. Brandenburgs Umweltminister Axel Vogel sagte dem RBB am Donnerstag (11. August), man wisse „nur von Dritten und aus Medien, dass in größerem Umfang Lösungsmittel freigesetzt wurden, die möglicherweise für das Fischsterben mitverantwortlich“ seien. „Es ist festzustellen, dass die vereinbarten Meldewege nicht eingehalten wurden und wir deswegen auch viele Informationen nicht haben, die wir hätten haben sollen“, ergänzte der Grünen-Politiker.

Vogel geht davon aus, dass das brandenburgische Landeslabor bis zum Wochenende Ergebnisse von Proben-Untersuchungen vorliegen hat. Es werde zudem geprüft, ob auch Ausbaggerungen auf polnischer Seite oder die Einleitung ungeklärter Abwässer eine Rolle gespielt hätten.

Numerous fish carcasses also collect on the banks of the Oder near Brieskow-Finkenheerd.

© Frank Hammerschmidt/dpa

An explanation for the great fish kill has not yet been found in Poland either.

According to a statement from the water authority in Wroclaw at the beginning of August, it is possible that a substance with strong oxidizing properties got into the water.

In addition, the toxic substance mesitylene was detected in two places.

The local public prosecutor's office is also investigating a possible environmental crime.

On the other hand, the Polish environmental protection agency stated on Thursday that current water samples were uncontaminated.

How humans pollute the environment

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Poland: Volunteers complain of "skin irritation" after disposing of the fish carcasses from the Oder

In der polnischen Bevölkerung gibt es Vorwürfe an die Behörden. Stimmen wurden laut, dass man nicht gewarnt worden sei, keine Fische aus der Oder zu essen und nicht im Fluss zu baden. Schon Ende Juli waren in Polen tote Fische gefunden und Wasserproben entnommen worden. Polens Fernsehsender TVN24 zeigte am Donnerstag (11. August) Bilder von Freiwilligen. Die holten massenweise tote Fische aus dem Fluss. Einer der Helfer klagte in dem Beitrag darüber, dass er nach der Berührung des Wassers rötliche Hautreizungen an den Händen bekommen habe.

On the German side, the disposal of the fish carcasses on the banks of the Oder is still being prepared, as the Märkisch-Oderland district announced.

According to a spokesman, the aim is to attract birds and snakes that eat carrion.

Don't ask for help from the public to collect the carcasses, the disposal should be coordinated.

(kh with dpa)