Janice R. Andrews
Volos, Greece, is facing a problem in both the economy and the environment as over 100 tons of dead freshwater fish fill its port. Extreme changes in the weather have caused an unusual die-off that has released a “repulsive” smell that is hurting local businesses and tourists badly.
Volos’s government has started a huge cleanup effort because of the dead fish that have stopped all shipping in the port. The dead fish came from Lake Karla in central Greece and were killed by a terrible series of weather events. In September 2023, a storm caused Lake Karla to grow dramatically. This was followed by very hot weather and drought. When the rain finally came, the fish were taken out to sea by the floods. They died there and polluted the rivers, bays, and the Pagasetic Gulf.
Deputy Regional Governor Anna Maria Papadimitriou said that people are working to quickly solve the problem. It was said, “We are working with anyone who wants to help end this as soon as possible.” But Mayor Achilleas Beos slammed the regional government for taking too long to respond and said that the fish deaths could have terrible effects on the environment.
Volos’s tourism business has taken a big hit from the turmoil. The chamber of commerce for the city says that business along the waterfront has dropped by 80% in just three days, with many stores closing. The chamber is going to court to get money for damages because they say the incident caused a big drop in business.
A state of emergency has been announced by the area governor, and fishing trawlers have been sent to get the fish. In the last 24 hours, more than 40 tons of dead animals have been gathered and burned. Local officials are looking into what happened and trying to figure out what caused this huge environmental disaster.
Volos is still dealing with the effects of this once-in-a-lifetime event, but the community is still hoping for a quick answer that will help the environment and the local business.
