According to TVN24, thousands of dead fish, including protected species, were discovered over the weekend in this area. It appears that the fish suddenly lost access to oxygen.
As reported by Przemysław Taranek from Radio Zet News, local anglers believe the fish kill resulted from water drainage caused by the power plant in Ostrów. They claim that the company’s employees removed the dead fish under the cover of darkness.
Local anglers claim that the water level suddenly dropped by 2.5 meters. "The river lost to human stupidity. Authorities were called to the scene," said Paweł Chodkiewicz, a river guard for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), via social media.
Polish Water Authorities have reported the case to the prosecutor's office, citing potential violations of water management regulations.
In response to the incident, Member of Parliament Daria Gosek-Popiołek from the Left Party took action. As the Deputy Chair of the Environmental Protection, Natural Resources, and Forestry Committee, she reached out to Polish Water Authorities, the Regional Directorate of Environmental Protection, and the police with questions about who is responsible for the harm done to local wildlife and flora, and for the alleged attempt to cover up these crimes by removing dead fish under the cover of night.
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The power plant's president, Krzysztof Pociecha, described the failure as an "unexpected" structural damage in a comment to TVN24. He explained that the dead fish, estimated at 600-800 kilograms, were packed into bags and containers while awaiting the arrival of a special commission.
President Pociecha added that live fish were returned to the water, and the dead ones were found far from the plant in an area with unregulated riverbanks. "I instructed them to pack the fish into bags and containers. A special commission is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday (December 10) to examine the situation," he said.
The power plant, which opened this year, has been criticized by Polish environmentalists from the start for its potential negative impact on nature. According to Gazeta Krakowska, its capacity is 2.1 MWh, and the generated energy is sold to the company Tauron.
Source: TVN24/Gazeta Krakowska/X/@PrzemekTaranek/@Czyste_Rzeki
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