Mystery as tonnes of dead fish found in European river

Tests are being carried out to discover how the fish died in the River Oder, on the Polish-German border

Thousands of dead fish are removed from the River Oder at a catch basin in Krajnik Dolny, Poland, on Saturday. Reuters

Comprehensive toxicology studies are under way after 10 tonnes of dead fish were found in the River Oder, on the border between Germany and Poland.

Fisherman expressed their concerns as hundreds of volunteers helped to collect dead fish along the German side of the river.

“I have been fishing here for 40 years and have never experienced anything like this on this scale," Helmut Zahn told broadcaster RTL.

"It gives me goose bumps when I see how many dead fish there are here in the Oder."

Poland’s Interior Minister said a reward of 1 million zlotys ($220,053) would be paid to anyone who helped to track down those responsible for polluting the river.

“Of course, the local fishermen are particularly affected. For them it is existential," said Karina Doerk, district administrator in Germany.

"The effects that this will have in the coming years will only then become clear.”

Giant trawler in France sheds 100,000 dead fish off coast – in pictures

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  Some of the 100,000 dead blue merlus that were thrown into the sea, off the coast of La Rochelle in western France, on February 3 by Dutch-owned trawler 'FV Margiris'. All photos by Sea Shephard via AFP

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  'FV Margiris' – the world's second-biggest fishing vessel – shed the dead fish into the Atlantic Ocean, forming a floating carpet of carcasses.

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  France’s maritime minister, Annick Girardin, called the images 'shocking'.

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  The spill happened early on Thursday. A full investigation is expected.

The River Oder runs from Czech Republic to the border between Poland and Germany before flowing into the Baltic Sea.

Laboratory tests after the discovery detected high levels of salinity but no mercury poisoning its waters, Poland’s Environment Minister, Anna Moskwa, said on Saturday.

Drone shows Greek lagoon full of dead fish after snowstorm - video

Ms Moskwa said analyses of river samples taken in Poland and Germany showed higher salt levels.

She said Poland’s state veterinary authority tested seven species of the dead fish and ruled out mercury as the cause of death, but was still waiting for results on other substances.

Ms Moskwa said test results from Germany had also not shown a high presence of mercury.