By Michael Sauerbier
Mountains of dead, stinking fish on the Oder beach, from Poland to the Baltic Sea. Now the poisonous wave has reached the Szczecin Lagoon. Behind it are the beaches of Usedom, where thousands of Berliners go on vacation.
But the authorities continue to puzzle over the reason for the mass deaths. They only issued a warning two weeks after the catastrophe began.
Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (54, Greens) appeared contrite in front of the cameras in Szczecin on Sunday evening. It was the first meeting with her Polish colleague Anna Moskwa (43) and the environment ministers of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Arid result: Starting Thursday, a joint commission is to look for the cause and polluters of the biggest environmental disaster in decades.
Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) visited helpers in Frankfurt (O.) on Saturday Photo: dpa/picture-alliance
“It appears that chemical waste from industrial production is involved,” Lemke speculated after the meeting, “but we don’t know for sure.” The Poles ruled out mercury and other heavy metals. Brandenburg’s Environment Minister Axel Vogel (66, Greens) reported “increased salt loads” in the river. Lethal to freshwater fish. Vogel: “But there are probably several reasons.”
Meanwhile, downright apocalyptic scenes were taking place on the banks of the Oder. Yesterday, helpers no longer shoveled the fish carcasses out of the river with fishnets, but with excavators. 20 tons alone at Schwedt in Krajnik Dolny, Poland. There, oil booms catch the fish corpses.
Local residents and emergency services fetch tons of fish carcasses from the Oder. Cause of death: unclear Photo: Reuters
Only part of the deadly cargo: If their swim bladders burst, the fish sink to the bottom. The Oder – an animal cemetery, also for mussels and crabs.
“We were left alone”
But because the authorities only issued warnings and bans on Friday, anglers may have eaten their poisonous catch long ago, and children and dogs continued to bathe in the river. Alarming: On Sunday, fish carcasses were also discovered in the Oder-Spree Canal and near Fürstenwalde. The result: anger and despair.
The Dziewoklicz Plaza river pool near Szczecin is closed: “No swimming!” Photo: Olaf Wagner
“We were left alone,” complained Frankfurt’s Mayor René Wilke (38, Left). “During this crisis, I actually only experienced that the authorities said: we are not responsible.” Minister Lemke admitted: “It is clear that the information did not flow properly in the first few days.”
Lifeguard Karol Stanowski (21): “Swimming is currently prohibited, but nobody wants to go into the water anyway. Everyone’s got a little scared in their heads” Photo: Olaf Wagner
Although the first mass deaths were observed between Opole and Breslau (Silesia) on July 28, Polish authorities did not warn the population. And neither did the German authorities. On Friday, Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki (54) fired the heads of the environmental and water authorities and offered a million sloty (215,000 euros) reward for information on the polluter. So far in vain.
Steffen (54), resident and hobby angler from Schwedt: “This is a catastrophe that can never be repaired. I saw it in the media but didn’t expect it to be that bad” Photo: Olaf Wagner
Brandenburg’s Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (60, SPD) was silent on the Oder drama until yesterday afternoon. Although he was the German government’s representative for Poland for years. Now he’s asking for clarification. He didn’t come to the river.
Brandenburg’s Prime Minister (SPD) was silent until Sunday about the environmental disaster Photo: dpa/picture-alliance
Brandenburg
Meanwhile, tourists and fishermen on the Oderhaff tremble before the death wave. They hope that the sea breeze will push the poison load inland. The first samples from the lagoon are being examined in Mecklenburg’s state laboratory.
Unrest is spreading in the imperial baths of Heringsdorf, Ahlbeck and Swinemünde. Experts hope that the toxic load in the sea will be diluted until it is harmless. Whatever it’s made of.