Spikes in fish mortality are observed in Ukraine throughout the year. The causes vary – from oxygen deprivation to pollution. July has already seen large-scale incidents in the Lviv, Odesa and Chernivtsi regions.
EcoPolitic has compiled reports on the latest cases of river fish mortality.
In the Lviv region, a mass fish kill was recorded on Monday, 13 July. The location was the Berezhnytsia riverbed near the villages of Lotatnyky, Yarushychi and Oleksychi in the Stryi territorial community.
Later, the Lviv Fish Protection Patrol reported that 585 fish had been removed from the river. The extent of the environmental damage will be determined once the specific species have been identified.
Until the causes have been established, residents have been strictly prohibited from fishing in local water bodies. At the same time, the territorial community has instructed the local municipal enterprise “Rynok” to prevent the sale of fish without accompanying documentation.
According to media outlet “Suspilne”, water samples from the river have already been taken for analysis. Preliminary data have been entered into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations under Article 242, Part 2, "Violation of water protection regulations", of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
“In the river, law enforcement officers found several hundred dead fish of various species as well as signs of water pollution,” reported the police.
Source: Stryi City Council
A mass fish die-off was also recorded in Odesa region. According to the State Environmental Inspectorate, marine animals died in the Khadzhibey Estuary near the villages of Male and Berehove.
The exact cause of the incident is unknown. However, ecologists preliminarily cite adverse weather conditions. Prolonged heat, combined with the peculiar hydrological regime of the water body, could have led to a release of hydrogen sulfide from the bottom. Such discharges, in turn, are accompanied by the displacement of oxygen in the water.
Nevertheless, to determine the circumstances precisely, environmental inspectors collected water samples and sent them to a laboratory for analysis.
Source: State Environmental Inspectorate of the Southwestern District
In Chernivtsi region, information about a fish kill emerged at the beginning of July. Several hundred dead pike, perch, and crucian carp were discovered in the Sosnovytsia River. The environmental damage exceeded UAH 1.1 million.
Local residents blame the Luzhany distillery for the die-off.
“Once again, a criminal case has been opened regarding this fish kill from the third of July. Our community head instructed the environmental inspection to take water samples. The environmental team arrived only a few days later. And the water is flowing. But this story will end badly for the distillery, as it has no treatment plants. For half a year there was calm, and now waste has been discharged again,” – the information portal “Molodyi Bukovynets” cites local resident Mariya Zheznomirska.
The company denies any involvement in the mass fish die-off and urges people to refrain from making premature conclusions until the investigation is complete.
Source: Chernivtsi Fish Protection Patrol
EcoPolitic previously reported on the fish species that are currently at risk of extinction. The main causes are climate change, river regulation, and environmental pollution.
