After the water level in Lake Pilchowickie in Lower Silesia was lowered, thousands of dead fish floated to the surface. A repulsive stench hangs in the area, and residents themselves speak of an environmental disaster. The Ministry of Climate and Environment, led by Paulina Hennig-Kloska and Urszula Zielińska, is not rushing to intervene.
“Tonnes of dead fish and black sludge flowing through the bed of the Bóbr River. Volunteer anglers are trying to save the last living specimens, pulling them out of the mud and transferring them to transport tanks. A drama is unfolding over Lake Pilchowickie, which many witnesses without hesitation describe as an environmental disaster,” reports the website lwowecki.info.
The situation is the result of draining the lake for the renovation of a more than century-old dam. Initially, a slow lowering of the water level and fish removal were planned. Draining the reservoir exposed bottom sediments, which are now flowing as a black, thick suspension. This substance is lethal to fish.
Shocking videos are increasingly appearing online, showing tonnes of dead fish and individual ones still fighting for survival.
The dramatic situation has sparked a grassroots movement among local residents – they have begun catching the remaining live fish. All volunteers with waders, rubber boots, and landing nets have been called for help.
They cannot count on assistance from the Ministry of Climate and Environment. The ministry’s top leadership does not mention what is currently happening at Lake Pilchowickie. There is not a single post on the subject on the profiles of the ministry, Paulina Hennig-Kloska, or Urszula Zielińska. Both politicians – when they were still in opposition – loudly promoted the mercury theory in the Oder River when a similar environmental disaster occurred years ago.