Key facts
- Persistent drought and extreme heat are causing widespread fish deaths in rivers, lakes, and fish farms across Europe.
- Hungary has seen 1,588 hectares of fish ponds dry out, resulting in the loss of nearly 280 metric tons of fish and an estimated revenue loss of $4.2 million.
- Romanian fish farmers are still dealing with the impact of droughts from previous years, affecting their long-term production cycles.
- Emergency measures are being implemented in the Czech Republic, including feeding reductions and pond aeration.
- In Slovenia, 8 million liters of water have been pumped into Lake Pristava to save fish.
- Scientists link the current extreme weather events to human-induced climate change.
Europe is experiencing a severe summer drought and heatwave that is decimating fish populations in rivers, lakes, and aquaculture farms. In Serbia, the Danube River has receded significantly, leaving fish in shrinking, high-temperature ponds vulnerable to mass death. This crisis is compounded by similar conditions affecting fish farms across Hungary, Romania, Bosnia, and the Czech Republic.
Hungary is particularly hard-hit, with nearly all its land facing extreme drought. This has led to the drying out of thousands of hectares of fish ponds, resulting in the loss of hundreds of tons of fish and millions of dollars in revenue. Producers face years to replace lost stock, with some forced to divert water between ponds to save fish.
Romanian fish farmers are grappling with the cumulative effects of droughts from previous years, noting that water policies prioritizing irrigation have left fish farms without adequate water. In the Czech Republic, farmers are implementing emergency measures like reducing feeding and aerating ponds, while Bosnian trout breeders are struggling as the species requires cold, oxygen-rich water.
In Slovenia, emergency teams are pumping millions of liters of water into Lake Pristava to prevent fish suffocation. The extreme temperatures and their impact on aquatic ecosystems are unprecedented in recent memory, prompting a broader discussion about preparedness for future extreme weather events linked to climate change.