The scenes that have been unfolding in the Pagasitic Gulf for several days are reminiscent of the ten biblical plagues that once afflicted ancient Egypt. After the devastating floods caused by the "Daniel" depression almost exactly one year ago, the region is now flooded with dead fish. A dense carpet of fish carcasses covers the waters in and around the harbour town of Volos, which is also home to charter bases that are often used as springboards to the Northern Sporades.
More than 160 tonnes of fish carcasses already recovered
The regional chamber of commerce and industry stated on its social media channels on Friday that the stench in the city of around 85,000 inhabitants was almost unbearable. According to the state broadcaster ERT, more than 160 tonnes of fish have already been taken out of the water. The Greek authorities are desperately trying to regain control of the situation with nets at the river mouths and large-scale cleaning measures. Several ships and dredgers are being deployed, but simple landing nets are also being used.
Mass fish deaths a consequence of the 2023 floods
Dimitris Kouretas, the governor of Thessaly, explained in a press release that the fish entered the gulf from Lake Karla, a wetland north of Volos. After the torrential rains in September 2023, the water level there rose and the fish had ideal conditions to reproduce due to the high nutrient supply. Now that the water levels have dropped drastically again, the freshwater fish died either due to a lack of oxygen or due to the increased salinity of the water as they approached the sea.
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Volos was hit by an environmental disaster for the second time in 12 months. The floods a year ago claimed at least 17 lives in Greece and devastated farmland, roads, buildings and other infrastructure. They flooded around 444 square miles, mainly in the Thessalian plain, one of the country's breadbaskets. At almost the same time, Greece was battling severe forest fires, which also claimed the lives of more than 20 people. According to climate and weather experts, such events will continue to increase due to climate change.
