100 kg of dead fish in new location. Golden algae to blame?
100 kilograms of dead fish – that’s how much was pulled from the reservoir in Lubczyna. Volunteer firefighters had their hands full.
Between 18 and 19 June in Lubczyna (West Pomeranian Voivodeship), in Lake Dąbie, a large number of dead fish were discovered – reports TVN24. They were pulled out of the water. The case is now being investigated by the Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection in Szczecin.
Is golden algae to blame for everything?
WIOŚ employees will soon test water samples, and within a few days experts will try to determine whether there are golden algae in the water. As reported by Natalia Chodań from the Regional Water Management Board in Szczecin, field tests have already been carried out, which show that the oxygen content in the water is appropriate, but increased salinity has been noted.
Golden algae are very dangerous for the state of water. Former Minister of Climate and Environment Anna Moskwa, while studying the presence of microorganisms in the Oder, explained that their “bloom can cause the appearance of toxins that kill fish and mussels”. “They are not harmful to humans” – she explained on the X platform.
Golden algae are highly toxic to aquatic organisms
In an interview with TVN24, Dr. Alicja Pawelec – a water protection specialist from WWF (an organization that fights to stop the degradation of the natural environment) – informed that golden algae are “invasive algae”. They can be found, among others, in the Baltic Sea – and it is in freshwater that they thrive. – If we had the Oder in good ecological condition, it would be freshwater, it would not have increased salinity, this algae would not occur there – she said in 2022.
Dr. Pawelec also said that golden algae is “highly toxic and deadly to aquatic organisms” but “not to humans.”
Dead fish at the entrance to the gravel pit in Bielinek
We recently reported on dead fish that were spotted at the entrance to a gravel pit in Bielinek (West Pomeranian Voivodeship). Water samples were then tested, as ordered by the West Pomeranian Voivode. They confirmed the presence of golden algae.
