The police offered 1 million zlotys (over 210,000 euros) for information that will lead to the arrest of criminals related to the pollution of the Odra (Oder) river on the German-Poland border and the mass death of fish. The announcement was made on Saturday, August 13, by Polish Deputy Interior Minister Maciej Wonsik in the town of Gorzow Wielkopolski.

“We want to find those responsible and punish the perpetrators of the environmental crime, which is probably in question,” Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in turn.

collecting dead fish

The head of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Zbigniew Bogutsky, said two dams would be built on the Odra to collect dead fish. “The substance that caused the pollution was not recognized by either the Polish or the German sides,” Bogutsky said.

The results of the study of dead fish and water samples taken from the river should be known next week. Until then, it is not recommended to approach the water, swim or fish.

The president of the Polish Fishing Association in Wroclaw, Andrzej Swietach, recalled that the first signs of environmental problems appeared in late July.

Increased salt and mercury content

Axel Vogel, Minister of Agriculture and Environment for the federal state of Brandenburg, previously noted that the salt content in the river has increased dramatically.

In addition, as reported by the German television channel RBB, employees of the state laboratory responsible for testing the water quality found a high content of mercury in the samples collected.

The Polish prime minister fired two senior officials who, according to the prime minister, took too long to respond to the mass death of fish. We are talking about the head of the state agency “Polish Waters” Przemysław Dace and the chief inspector of environmental protection Michal Mistshak.