Dead fish on Rostock's beaches: Crisis team intervenes!

Dead fish on Rostock's beaches: Crisis team intervenes!

In Rostock, a worrying incident on the Baltic Sea beaches is causing a stir: numerous dead fish were washed up, prompting the city to set up a crisis team. How Deutschlandfunk Reportedly, it is various species of fish such as flounder, plaice and cod that litter the shore. The possible causes of this fish death seem to be the lack of oxygen in the water, which is promoted by over-fertilization and the constant increase in water temperatures.

This problem is not new: a fish death in October 2020 had similar causes, and the health risk is obvious. The health department has warned the population not to swim in the Baltic Sea. The crisis team was set up to better understand the situation and take appropriate measures. This shows once again how seriously the situation on the Baltic Sea coast is taken.

Background of Baltic Sea pollution

Current events help to shed light on the big picture of the Baltic Sea risks. According to a report by daily news The Baltic Sea suffers from overfishing, rising water temperatures and an overabundance of nutrients. Fisherman Björn Fischer takes stock soberly: The cod stocks are alarmingly low, while the herrings suffer from the warm water temperature and hatch far too early, which endangers their offspring.

The rising water temperature above the global average means that fresh water inflows across the Belt and Sound are decreasing. This development darkens the outlook for the entire marine environment. High levels of nutrients from fertilizers and industry are putting massive strain on the Baltic Sea, which is alarming since two thirds of seagrass meadows have disappeared in the last 100 years.

The state of the Baltic Sea

According to the results of the third holistic status report from HELCOM, the current state of the Baltic Sea remains as follows Federal Environment Agency informed, worrying. Despite a decline in nutrient inputs, 94% of the Baltic Sea is still eutrophic, affecting biodiversity in marine habitats.

Eutrophication, an over-fertilization caused by nutrient inputs, has already led to changes in the species composition and the abundance of plankton. In particular, stocks of cod and herring are in decline, mainly caused by overfishing, lack of oxygen and climate change. This is also reported by the screening study, which examined several samples of sediments, fish and mussels in order to record the variety of pollutants.

Given these critical developments, it is understandable that initiatives are called for to improve the situation. Experts advocate the establishment of protected areas and warn of the necessary restrictions that nature conservation measures could entail.

The situation on the Baltic Sea remains tense. The crisis team in Rostock is a first step to counteract the misery. Let us hope that what is happening on the beaches of the Baltic Sea will draw attention to the urgently needed measures to ensure the long-term health of our seas.