Stench drives tourists away Seaside resort in Tuscany struggles with massive fish deaths
As the water temperature reaches a record high of 35 degrees, thousands of fish are dying in the lagoon off the Italian town of Orbetello. This has consequences for local fishing and tourism.
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- Thousands of dead fish have been floating in the lagoon off the Italian town of Orbetello for days.
- The reason is the high water temperature of 35 degrees.
- Fishermen are complaining about damage running into millions.
- The smell of the decomposing carcasses is also threatening local tourism.
In Tuscany, fishermen and tourists are on the alert due to a fish kill in the Mediterranean. Thousands of fish carcasses have been floating for days in the lagoon of the town of Orbetello in the heart of the Tuscan bathing peninsula of Monte Argentario.
A total of 200 tons of eels and other fish have died in three days, Italian media report. An unusually large number of fish came to the surface and died after hours of agony.
Fishermen complained of losses running into millions. The high water temperature in the lagoon, which reached a record high of 35 degrees in the past few days, was blamed for the fish deaths. These are currently the highest temperatures in the entire Mediterranean region.
Water pumps do not help
A lack of water exchange in an almost closed system and the growth of algae caused the oxygen content to drop to almost zero. Fishermen tried to pump cool water into the lagoon, but the measure was not enough to stop the fish die-off.
Blue crabs, which have recently become an increasing scare for fishermen because they consume clams and other smaller fish, also fell victim to the fish kill.
Consequences for tourism
Tons of fish carcasses had to be disposed of in Orbetello. The concern is that the decomposed carcasses could lead to a hygiene emergency at the height of the tourist season.
The mayor of Orbetello called for measures to support the fishermen affected. The tourism industry is worried about the August weeks. Restaurant and bar owners have already complained of heavy losses, as customers are avoiding dining in establishments near the sea because of the stench.
The authorities asked the government in Rome for help. The President of the Tuscany region, Enrico Giani, wanted to declare a state of emergency: This is to take measures to support the fishermen affected.
With material from the news agency Keystone-SDA.
