Solid fish death on the Krems: Natural disaster meets Linz!

Tausende Fische starben an der Krems, nachdem der Fluss trockengefallen ist. Ursachen werden untersucht, Erholung dauert Monate.
Thousands of fish died on the Krems after the river fallen dry. Causes are examined, relaxation takes months. (Symbolbild/ANAGAT)

Solid fish death on the Krems: Natural disaster meets Linz!

The Krems faces a dramatic situation that fishermen and environmentalists alike. For reasons unexplained, numerous parts of the river have dried out, which has led to a massive fish death. It is estimated that at least 2000 fish have died. The drying out occurred at the confluence with the Traun near Ebelsberg, where the alarm bells rang last week. Already on Wednesday morning, the fisheries were informed about the catastrophic situation, while they were employed in parallel with a fish salvage in the Jaukerbach, such as reported.

use of fire brigade and pumps

To save the endangered fish stocks, fire brigade and several pumps were used. The aim was to stabilize the water level of the Krems as soon as possible and to recover living fish. By pumping out of the upper water canal of the Kleinmünchen power plant, a temporary absorption of the water shortage should be achieved. From the Hoffelhnerwehr, more water was also led into the Krems. Nevertheless, the situation remains critical: the flooded zones cannot be secured for a period, and it is foreseeable that the recovery of the river section could take several months. Even another feeder to the Inn Mattighofen fell dry, which is also not the first time.

long-term consequences and causes

The exact cause of the drying is currently being examined intensively. The lowering of the Traun may be responsible for renovation work or the unfortunate time link and the consequences of the climate crisis. In general, rivers such as the Krems are susceptible to such extreme events, especially for heat waves. A project to prevent future dryings is already in planning.

In another European context, we have to look at the experiences in the or, where fish also died in summer 2022, among other things because of excessive salt content in the water and a toxic algae blossom, which was favored by the heat and a low water level. Here the number of dead fish amounts to over 1,000 tons, and the authorities still fight against the consequences of this man -made disaster. Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke announced at the time to take measures to reduce the salinity to prevent repeating of such events;

Outlook and new challenges

When the authorities in Brandenburg and Poland reacted to the environmental disaster, protective measures were taken and a three -stage warning system was established in order to be able to react early to such emergency situations. At the same time, the threat of recurrent algae flowers and the associated risks remain, according to experts, according to experts is significantly caused by human action. Therefore, the situation on the Krems is an urgent sign that it is not only about the restoration of the fish stocks, but also about long -term strategies to secure water quality and the ecological balance of our rivers.

The fishery entitled to fisheries are to document the true extent of this environmental drama. The died fish are disposed of properly and, according to experts, there is no danger to people and the environment as long as the storage and disposal is carried out professionally. The fact that water resources play such a central role in our nature and economy cannot be overlooked in such difficult times.

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OrtKrems, Österreich
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