Hundreds of thousands of dead fish washed up on a tourist port in Greece. The fish started collecting in the central city of Volos this week after they were expelled from their freshwater regions due to flooding the previous year.

The floating remains of the fish have covered the port with a silvery blanket that "spans kilometres". The residents and authorities rushed to the site to remove them before the stench reached hotels and restaurants in the area.

The fish were collected using nets by trawlers and were put in the back of trucks on Wednesday. According to the authorities, over 40 tonnes of fish have been piled up in the last 24 hours.

Achilleas Beos, the mayor of Volos, said the odour was unbearable. In a press conference on Wednesday, he blamed the government for not handling the issue before it reached the city. The rotting fish could pose an environmental threat to other species in the region, he added.

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<h2>Aftermath of last year's flood</h2>

According to experts, the historic floods in the Thessaly plane farther north last year was the cause behind this incident. The flood water refilled a lake drained in 1962 to prevent the spread of malaria, causing it to swell by three times more than its normal state.

The water in the lake receded and pushed the fish to the Volos port that drains into the salt water of Pagasetic Gulf and the Aegean Sea. The river flowing to Volos did not have any net placed at its mouth to stop the fish from going into saltwater of the sea, which likely killed them, said the experts.

“They didn’t do the obvious, to put a protective net,” Mayor Beos said, blaming the government authorities.

The environment ministry has not commented on the issue yet. An investigation has been ordered by the local prosecutors.

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Scientists have linked the disaster to climate change which caused extreme weather in Greece. This resulted in scorching high temperatures and unpredictable rainfall that caused wildfires and floods in the country.

<h2>'Too late' for local restaurants</h2>

“Closing the barrier now doesn’t help,” said Dimosthenis Bakoyiannis, a beach restaurant owner near Volos. “Now it’s too late, the tourist season is over.”&nbsp;

Bakoyiannis claims his turnover has significantly dropped by 80% this season as tourists did not want to visit after the floods.

“The situation with this dead fish will be the death of us,” said the president of the local association of restaurants and bars, Stefanos Stefanou. “What visitor will come to our city after this?”

(With inputs from agencies)

Hundreds of thousands of dead fish washed up on a tourist port in Greece. The fish started collecting in the central city of Volos this week after they were expelled from their freshwater regions due to flooding the previous year.

Hundreds of thousands of dead fish washed up on a tourist port in Greece. The fish started collecting in the central city of Volos this week after they were expelled from their freshwater regions due to flooding the previous year. The floating remains of the fish have covered the port with a silvery blanket that "spans kilometres". The residents and authorities rushed to the site to remove them before the stench reached hotels and restaurants in the area. The fish were collected using nets by trawlers and were put in the back of trucks on Wednesday. According to the authorities, over 40 tonnes of fish have been piled up in the last 24 hours. Achilleas Beos, the mayor of Volos, said the odour was unbearable. In a press conference on Wednesday, he blamed the government for not handling the issue before it reached the city. The rotting fish could pose an environmental threat to other species in the region, he added. Also read | 'Save Our Seas': UN issues SOS over fast-rising Pacific Ocean Aftermath of last year's flood According to experts, the historic floods in the Thessaly plane farther north last year was the cause behind this incident. The flood water refilled a lake drained in 1962 to prevent the spread of malaria, causing it to swell by three times more than its normal state. The water in the lake receded and pushed the fish to the Volos port that drains into the salt water of Pagasetic Gulf and the Aegean Sea. The river flowing to Volos did not have any net placed at its mouth to stop the fish from going into saltwater of the sea, which likely killed them, said the experts. “They didn’t do the obvious, to put a protective net,” Mayor Beos said, blaming the government authorities. The environment ministry has not commented on the issue yet. An investigation has been ordered by the local prosecutors. Also read | World will lose 50 heritage sites till 2050 because of climate change, predict experts Scientists have linked the disaster to climate change which caused extreme weather in Greece. This resulted in scorching high temperatures and unpredictable rainfall that caused wildfires and floods in the country. 'Too late' for local restaurants “Closing the barrier now doesn’t help,” said Dimosthenis Bakoyiannis, a beach restaurant owner near Volos. “Now it’s too late, the tourist season is over.” Bakoyiannis claims his turnover has significantly dropped by 80% this season as tourists did not want to visit after the floods. “The situation with this dead fish will be the death of us,” said the president of the local association of restaurants and bars, Stefanos Stefanou. “What visitor will come to our city after this?” (With inputs from agencies)

Tonnes of dead fish wash up on Greek tourist port after flooding

Mass fish death in Australia: Government blames weather change

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Tonnes of dead fish wash up on Greek tourist port after flooding

Mass fish death in Australia: Government blames weather change