Her operations Epirus region in his upper rune Luru could lead to the extinction of unique endemic species trout Greece. This nightmarish possibility is currently being investigated by experts as the region’s “flood control projects” have wiped out the entire area where this endangered species lives, and indeed during its breeding season. For its part, the Region contends that the work was carried out without a permit as a state of emergency was declared in the area, and that the dead fish found came from one of the many illegal fish farms in Louros that the Region is trying to obtain a license from.

The Louros disaster case looks like it comes from the 80s. “In early November, citizens notified us that the course of the river was cut, and its channel and banks were leveled,” the report says. Mayor Dodoni, Christos Dakaletis. “The scale of the damage was very large and at a great distance. The problem was not the flow of the river, which had already recovered from the weekend rains. The question is how much damage has been done to the ichthyofauna and, in particular, to the trout species, which lives only in this particular part of Louros and nowhere else in the world.”

Following complaints from the municipality, the area was visited by environmental inspectors and the Epirus branch of OFYPEKA (Environmental Protection and Climate Change Agency) because endemic trout (Salmo lurosensis) is a critically endangered species. In addition to stopping the flow of the river for 8 kilometers, the scientists recorded “extensive interventions, including the placement of boulders on the sides of the channel, the opening of the channel in parts, the removal of islands and dams from the channel and its leveling in some places. “As they note,” throughout the river, where the work was carried out, there is a significant change in the river ecosystem, as a result of which the habitats of aquatic vegetation and fauna of the river are lost.

The scientists found no specimens of the endemic Louros trout among the dead fish. However, they express a particularly troubling assessment: “It is noted that we are in the breeding season of the endemic Louros trout, and therefore, if there were breeding grounds for this species in the riverbed intervention area, they no longer exist, without obvious knowledge of the impact on type conservation.”

Environmental inspectors and the OFYPEKA team found extensive destruction in the area where the endemic species lives. “We removed fallen trees from the banks,” the Epirus region responds.

“Louros is actually split in two because of the PPC hydroelectric power plant. This means that the fish cannot move freely between the two sections. The upper reaches of the river are inhabited by Salmo lurosensis, which lives only there and nowhere else in the world,” explains Anti Oikonomu, a PhD scientist at the ELKETE Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters. about the ichthyofauna of Luru. “This species hides, feeds and breeds under the roots of trees that are close to water. Therefore, at this time, his shelter is destroyed, and besides, due to the fact that there is no shade from the trees in the river, the water temperature rises and this poses a danger to the survival of the species. This is also the breeding season for trout: sweeping the bottom with cars, they destroyed all the eggs, fry, as well as the entire community of species that the trout feed on. This is the worst thing you can do to a species that lives only 30 km from the river and nowhere else.”

“Emergency”

For its part, the Epirus region claims … that none of this happened. “Operations were carried out without permission because a state of emergency has been declared in the area. We removed fallen trees from the banks. If we didn’t do it now, then after that the villages in the area would drown,” says Mr. Regional Governor Alexandros Kachrimanis. “There was no water in the river because of the rain. The only thing that did not suit me was that there are many fish farms that take water from the river. They don’t have a license, we are looking for a solution because we respect the bread that people eat. When the problem with fish farms is resolved, we will be able to study Louros.”

So far, the region has directly awarded four contracts for work in Louros, all for the same reason. When asked if endemic trout were included in the definition of work, Mr Kahrimanis replied in the negative. “I asked them to give me trout to put into the rivers. We are protecting them, not OFYPEKA, who had no authority to intervene.”