A significant environmental disaster is unfolding in the Greek city of Volos, where hundreds of thousands of dead fish have inundated the local tourist port. The fish, displaced from their freshwater habitats during historic floods last year, have created a silvery blanket across the port, raising alarm among residents and authorities alike. The event has sparked fears of a broader environmental impact, particularly on other species in the region.
The crisis began when the fish, forced out of a nearby lake that had dramatically refilled last year’s floods, were swept into the Pagasetic Gulf, where they were unable to survive in the saltwater. The sudden influx of dead fish has covered several kilometres of the Volos coastline, creating an unbearable stench that has reached the city’s restaurants and hotels, threatening to deter tourists and impact the local economy.
Local authorities have been working around the clock to collect the dead fish, with more than 40 tonnes removed in the last 24 hours alone. Trawlers have been deployed to drag nets through the water, collecting the fish, which are then transported away in trucks. However, the scale of the disaster has raised concerns about the long-term environmental impact, as well as the potential for further economic losses in the region.
Volos Mayor Achilleas Beos has criticised the government’s response, arguing that the disaster could have been prevented if a protective net had been placed at the mouth of the river leading into Volos. “They didn’t do the obvious, to put a protective net,” Beos said, blaming government services for not taking action sooner.
The environment ministry has not yet responded to requests for comment, and local prosecutors have ordered an investigation into the handling of the disaster. Experts believe that the fish kill is a direct consequence of extreme weather events linked to climate change, including last year’s historic floods that inundated the Thessaly Plain and caused significant ecological disruption.
Local businesses are already feeling the economic impact of the disaster. Dimosthenis Bakoyiannis, a beach restaurant owner, reported an 80% drop in turnover this summer due to the reduced number of tourists following the flooding. “The situation with this dead fish will be the death of us,” said Stefanos Stefanou, president of the local association of restaurants and bars, expressing concern about the future of tourism in Volos. As the situation continues to develop, the focus remains on mitigating the environmental damage and addressing the economic fallout that threatens to devastate the region.
