Scientists are baffled by an unexplained 'ecological disaster' that left ten tons of dead fish floating in a river flowing between Germany and Poland.
More than 10 tons of fish have been found dead in a European river since late July — an unexplained"ecological catastrophe" that is baffling scientists and political leaders alike.
The continent is suffering what experts say could be its worst drought in 500 years, with major rivers from the Danube to the Rhine drying up. And conditions are set to worsen in the weeks and months ahead, they add. “We are dealing with a gigantic and outrageous ecological catastrophe,” then-Polish Waters head Przemyslaw DacaThe main cause is thought to be water contamination due to a toxic substance, though officials have been unable to identify what it is.
"Experts are working flat out on the analysis in order to find out as quickly as possible which substances are causes of the mass death of fish and the damage to the Oder." She said some Oder water samples were being sent to foreign laboratories to be tested for another 300 substances, including the presence of pesticides. Shethat samples had been sent to the Czech Republic, Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
A boat captain first alerted German authorities about the dead fish on Aug. 9, Germany's federal government said.