'The smell has been so, so bad': Video shows blanket of dead fish inundate Greek port
The fish disaster in the port of Volos is believed to have been caused by severe flooding in the region that killed at least 10 people in central Greece last September. Other impacts are feared.
Severe flooding has caused hundreds of thousands of dead fish to inundate Greece's Pagasetic Gulf.
The disaster has forced Greek officials to begin trying to dispose of what looks like a blanket of dead fish off the port of Volos this week − along with the accompanying stench, according to Reuters.
Video footage shows the severity of the problem. Where water once flowed was a sea of rotting fish.
The ecological catastrophe has also been disastrous economically as business owners grapple with the odor, which has deterred customers. The Volos Chamber of Commerce has estimated that commercial activity has declined by 80% this week, according to NBC News.
Officials confirmed Thursday afternoon that 100 tons of dead fish have been collected and sent to the incinerator, NBC News reported. Theofilos Voulgaris, a 48-year-old owner of local restaurant Lépi, estimated that 90% of the creatures were removed as of Thursday.
“The smell has been so, so bad," Voulgaris told NBC News. "The whole sea and the whole port all around was full of dead fish."
Flooding killed 10 in central Greece last year
The disaster was cased by dire floods that killed at least 10 people in central Greece last September, according to The Guardian.
The severe weather left many households without power or running water. As streams damaged buildings and swept vehicles into sea, officials implemented several evacuations, including a Volos retirement home, the Associated Press reported.
Experts say the effects are still present this week as the shift in water levels in the area created the swarm of dead fish.
At a press conference Wednesday, Volos Mayor Achilleas Beos blamed the government for the crisis, arguing that the incident was preventable, according to Reuters. In addition to bringing an unbearable smell, he said the fish could lead to an environmental disaster for different species in the area.