Images of dead fish floating in the sea off the city port of Volos on central mainland Greece have captured global attention, with international media outlets like Reuters and The Guardian, reporting on the situation that has developed over the last few days.

‘Greece tourist port flooded with hundreds of thousands of dead fish’ is a headline in The Guardian highlighting the environmental disaster.


Reuters, in its coverage, reports ‘Dead fish blanket Greek tourist port after flooding.’ The article explains that ‘Greek authorities have started collecting hundreds of thousands of dead fish that spilled into a tourist port in the central city of Volos, this week, after having been displaced from their usual freshwater habitats, during last year’s floods.’


The French news agency AFP reporting on the incident notes that the Greek port of Volos is dealing with an overwhelming number of dead fish, with a cleanup operation, already underway, expected to last several days. It continues informing its readers that the authorities removed 57 tons of carcasses in a single day.


Similarly, Deutsche Welle highlights the challenges faced by the port as it contends with masses of fish, raising concerns among locals about damage to the ecosystem and the impact to local businesses.


In response, the Magnesia Hotel Association, in fear of the potentially negative impacts, is considering filing a lawsuit against those responsible, as well as legal actions for defamation of the area as a result of the dead fish phenomenon in the Pagasetic Gulf. The hotel association, along with other local organizations, warns of further actions if the issue persists.

Experts attribute the phenomenon to thousands of tons of water from Lake Karla and the surrounding areas that are being channeled daily into the Pagasetic Gulf through the Xirias stream. When freshwater fish come into contact with seawater, they die—a recurring issue that has been observed before.