オーデル川で魚大量死、死骸１００トン回収　ポーランド

【ワルシャワＡＦＰ＝時事】ポーランド消防局は１６日、同国やドイツを流れるオーデル川から１２日以降、合計１００トンの魚の死骸を回収したことを明らかにした。環境汚染の懸念が深まっている。（写真はドイツ東部シュベトを流れるオーデル川の岸辺にたまった魚の死骸）
　消防局によると、河川でこれだけの規模の魚の死骸が回収されるのは前代未聞だという。魚の死因は分かっていないが、当局は中毒死の可能性が高いとみている。
　ポーランドのマテウシュ・モラウィエツキ首相は先週、「恐らく膨大な量の化学廃棄物が、その危険性や結果を十分承知した上で川に投棄されたのだろう」との見解を示していた。
　だがアンナ・モスクワ気候・環境相は１６日、これまでに検査したサンプルからは有害物質が検出されなかったと説明。要因としては自然現象も考えられ、特に最近の水位低下と高温で水中の汚染物質や塩分の濃度が上昇した可能性について調査中だとしている。
　魚の大量死は、先月２８日から地元住民や釣り人による報告が相次いでいた。隣国ドイツの当局は、大量の死んだ魚が流れてきたことに驚き、ポーランド側がこの問題について事前に通知しなかったことを非難。ポーランド国内でも、政府が迅速な対応をとらなかったとして、大きな批判が生まれている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/08/17-13:52）

Polish firefighters said Tuesday they had recovered 100 tonnes of dead fish from the Oder river running through Germany and Poland, deepening concerns of an environmental disaster.
We'd never had an operation of this scope on a river before, said Monika Nowakowska-Drynda from the national firefighter press office.
She confirmed that around 100 tonnes (220,500 pounds) of dead fish had been recovered since Friday.
The cause of death is uncertain, though officials believe the fish are likely to have been poisoned.
Probably enormous quantities of chemical waste was dumped into the river in full knowledge of the risk and consequences, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said last week.
But Climate and Environment Minister Anna Moskwa said on Tuesday that none of the samples tested so far has shown the presence of toxic substances.
She said the government was also looking into possible natural causes and in particular higher concentrations of pollutants and salinity as a result of lower water levels and high temperatures.
A third hypothesis being examined is that industrial waste water with a high chlorine content was poured into the river, she said.
Water samples have also been sent to laboratories in the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Britain in the hopes of finding the cause.
The first reports of mass fish deaths were made by Polish locals and anglers as early as July 28.
German officials have accused Polish authorities of failing to inform them about the deaths, and were taken by surprise when the wave of lifeless fish came floating into view.
In Poland, the government has also come under heavy criticism for failing to take swift action.
The Oder has over the last years been known as a relatively clean river, and 40 domestic species of fish are found in the waterway.
But now, dead fish -- some reaching up to 40 centimetres (16 inches) -- can be seen across the river.
Nowakowska-Drynda said more than 500 firefighters have been recovering the dead fish in Poland with the help of dams, boats, quad bikes and even a drone.