Very bad smell

Fish deaths: restaurants avoided due to stench

Due to climate change, dramatic phenomena such as fish deaths are becoming increasingly common - now a popular beach in Tuscany has been hit (symbolic image).

(Bild: AFP)

In Tuscany, thousands of fish carcasses have been floating in the Orbetello lagoon for days. A total of 200 tons of eels and other fish have died in just three days. Locations close to the sea are avoided because of the stench.

An unusually large number of fish are currently coming to the surface in Tuscany, Italy, and dying after hours of agony. The high water temperature in the lagoon, which has reached 35 degrees in recent days, is being blamed. According to the Italian media, these are currently the highest temperatures in the entire Mediterranean region.

Here you can see a photo from Orbetello.

Blue crabs perished
Fishermen and women tried to pump cool water into the lagoon, but to no avail. It didn't help to stop the fish dying. Blue crabs, which eat clams and other small fish, also died. Meanwhile, tons of fish carcasses were disposed of in Orbetello.

Hygiene emergency?
There are fears that the decomposed carcasses could lead to a hygiene emergency. Restaurant and bar owners are already complaining of heavy losses, as establishments close to the sea are being avoided because of the stench. The President of the Tuscany region, Enrico Giani, wants to declare a state of emergency to support the fishermen affected.