Numerous dead fish have already been taken out of the Landwehr Canal Photo: Sven Meissner
By Carlos Contreras
Hundreds of fish carcasses drifted across the Berlin Landwehr Canal on Sunday. Heavy rain is suspected to be the cause – a known problem!
Contaminated water and lack of oxygen have led to fish deaths. The RBB reported first. Wildlife officer Derk Ehlert explains to BZ that this phenomenon occurs “every year”. The heavy rain had overloaded the pipe system. In addition, due to the persistent drought, there were many organic substances on the road.
“Contaminated water flows into the canal. This reduces the oxygen content to a minimum,” explains the expert. The result: the fish suffocate.
The Senate is now responsible for collecting the carcasses with nets. In addition, an aeration vessel is used to pump oxygen into the canal water.
Ehlert mentions that the Neukölln shipping canal and the Teltow Canal are also affected. Actually, so-called retention basins are supposed to collect the water and direct it to the sewage treatment plants, but their expansion is not planned until 2030. He could not provide information on the number of dead fish. “The colleagues are still on site.”