Floods, heat waves, fires forests and water shortages on the Aegean islands – Greece has been struggling with a number of natural disasters this year. Now, another one has emerged: since August 26, more than a hundred tons of dead freshwater fish have washed ashore in and around the port city of Volos – by a small river in the Pagasitikos Gulf. Local authorities have declared a state of emergency until the end of September. The dead fish are being removed.
The fish that washed ashore came from Lake Karla, about 20 kilometres north of Volos, one of the largest lakes in Greece. It was completely drained in 1962 to create agricultural land. It was partially naturalized in 2010-2018. After a torrential flood caused by storm Daniel in September 2023, the lake surface returned to its original size of about 180 square kilometers within a few days. In the following months, fish found plenty of food in Lake Karla and multiplied greatly.
Then came the hottest Greek summer on record. For months, not a single drop of rain fell. As a result, the lake's water level fell too quickly and too much, and many fish suffocated. Earlier initial reports that the fish had died when they entered the sea because of fluctuating salinity turned out to be false; they were already dead when they were washed out to sea.
Delayed reaction of the authorities
This is the most massive fish kill in this area, but not the first. The authorities should have monitored the developments in Lake Karla. They should have set up nets in the Xirios River in time to collect and dispose of the dead fish. However, this did not happen, because they ended up in the sea.
More than a hundred tons of dead fish have been collected in the port of Volos and on the surrounding beaches. Local authorities are trying to remove them using chartered fishing trawlers and dredgers. The fish are collected in containers and transported to a special facility in the neighboring city of Larissa, where they can be burned.
In addition, there are also huge amounts of dead fish mixed with sand, algae and garbage. The city of Volos is currently looking for a site for a hazardous waste dump. An inactive quarry in the municipality of Rigas Feraios, north of Volos, is being considered. However, it is still unclear what impact the dumping of masses of dead fish will have on the local environment.
A heavy blow to tourism
Images of dead fish washed ashore have gone viral around the world. The stench on the shore was unbearable for locals and tourists alike. Many holidaymakers left early on in the disaster, a blow to the local economy, which is heavily dependent on tourism. The situation is difficult for hoteliers in the area and disastrous for Volos' famous tsipouradiko (fish restaurants serving local specialities on small plates). According to the Greek Ministry of Health there is no risk to public health. Nevertheless, diners are staying away from the place, as few people want to eat near the ongoing drama.
Commercial activity along Volos' seaside promenade has fallen by about 80 percent in recent days, according to the local chamber of commerce, which it calls an “unbelievable ecological and economic catastrophe.”
The Greek government has announced a series of support measures for affected companies in the coming days. However, this is a typical response of governments after every disaster; instead of preventing, they grant compensation. Often, it turns out to be poor.
Who is to blame?
The search for those responsible for the disaster began even before all the dead fish had been removed. The mayor of Volos, Achilleas Beos, accused the governor of the Thessaly region in eastern central Greece, the Volos port authority and the relevant ministries of failing in their duties. “They failed to do the obvious thingswhich was the installation of the safety net, the mayor said. The Greek Supreme Court has ordered an urgent investigation. It is necessary to clarify who bears criminal responsibility for the situation. It is not only about the last few days, but also about alleged negligence in recent months.
In addition, the authorities are waiting for the results of analyses ordered by the prosecutor's office to determine whether the cause of the fish death was only suffocation or perhaps also the thoughtless use of fertilizers and pesticides in the area of Lake Karla. In this case, the impact of dead fish on the fauna and flora of the relatively closed Pagasitikos Gulf would be even worse.
Still the same mistakes
Until 1962, Lake Karla stretched near the northern slopes of Mount Pelion, north of Volos. Karla was the second largest wetland in Greece. The need to provide new agricultural land prompted the Greek state to decide to drain the lake. The draining lasted a year and a half. It was considered one of the most important projects for the development of Greek agricultureAs a result, 80,000 hectares of agricultural land were secured for farmers. However, a serious ecological disaster quickly occurred in the region. Groundwater levels dropped dramatically, pollution in the Pagasitikos Gulf increased, and phytoplankton blooms appeared in the bay.
Given the current and past environmental disasters, Antonis Kokkinakis, professor of agriculture and forestry at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, wrote on Facebook that the Greek state is not learning from its own mistakes. “Nature speaks to us, but we do not listen to it or do not want to listen,” Kokkinakis said.