German Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (54, Greens) and Polish Environment Minister Anna Moskwa (43) Photo: Patrick Pleul/dpa
By Isabel Pancake
The fish kill in the Oder is still an unsolved mystery. But at least the German-Polish environmental council agreed on a deadline: September 30th is supposed to be the cause of the catastrophe.
“It is clear that there were several causes, including man-made ones,” said Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (54, Greens).
About 300 tons of fish have died in the Oder since July 26. In the meantime, there is increasing evidence that the animals died from the poison of the golden algae. But which substance led to the saltwater algae is still unclear. According to Lemke, several hundred chemical substances could be used for this.
The fish kill in the Oder, the border river between Germany and Poland, has still not been finally clarified Photo: dpa
Before the meeting with the Polish Environment Minister Anna Moskwa (43), Brandenburg’s Environment Minister Axel Vogel (66, Greens) and other experts in the Environment Council, Lemke had insisted on stopping the development of the Oder.
But there was no negotiation with Moskva: “There is no formal or rational basis to stop these measures. The 2015 agreement is still valid for both sides.” By this Moskwa means a German-Polish agreement on flood protection. Lemke: “Nevertheless, as Minister for the Environment, I have to point out that repairing this environmental disaster is the priority.”
The Greens politician also criticized the illegal waste exports from Germany to Poland: “I will personally work to stop these illegal waste transports to the neighboring country and to hold the perpetrators accountable.”