Prosecutor orders urgent investigation into lake Karla fish deaths

Greece's top prosecutor, Georgia Adelini, has ordered an urgent investigation into the large number of dead fish found in Lake Karla, which flows into the Pagasitikos Gulf.

Adelini has instructed the prosecutor in Volos to conduct a preliminary inquiry to determine why a sluice gate leading to the only drainage tunnel for water from the Larissa-Karla plain into the Pagasitikos Gulf was left open. The inquiry will also examine how the operation of this tunnel is managed.

The investigation is also expected to determine who made the decision to irrigate the Larissa-Karla plain and whether they assessed the risks of allowing water to flow continuously from Lake Karla into the Pagasitikos Gulf.

Adelini's directive stated, "In light of the devastating sight of tons of dead fish from Lake Karla in the Pagasitikos Gulf, and the apparent severe environmental, public health, and economic impacts on the region, we request an urgent preliminary investigation. This investigation will assess, among other things, whether the sluice gate should have been closed earlier, immediately after dead fish appeared in the gulf or even before, considering the low water levels in Lake Karla."

The prosecutor also called for an examination of the approved water drainage plan from Lake Karla and the decision to bury dead fish in the Xirias stream. This incident has sparked a dispute between Volos Mayor Achilleas Beos and Thessaly Governor Dimitris Koureta.

Beos posted a video on social media showing the site where the fish were buried, accusing Koureta of being a "political fraud" and a "disgrace." He also filed a lawsuit against the contractor who allegedly buried the fish near Dimini Bridge.

Koureta responded, accusing Beos of theatrics and misinformation, stating, "The fish were not intended to be buried in Xirias, as the region has contracted a company for proper disposal." He added, "The strange thing is that Beos’ lawsuit talks about an environmental crime. Who? The frontman for LNG in Pagasitikos?"

Beos also criticized the Volos prosecutor's office for not acting on a complaint he filed in September 2023, stating, "It did nothing for a year. Now you're awake? When a nobody files a complaint, you immediately spring into action."

The Commercial Association of Volos has also filed a lawsuit against those responsible, citing public health risks and damage to the local economy caused by the situation in the Pagasitikos Gulf.

Meanwhile, SYRIZA-PS MPs, led by Magnesia MP Alexandros Meikopoulos, have submitted questions to the ministers of Shipping & Island Policy and Environment & Energy, criticizing the government’s inaction and confusion over jurisdiction in handling the environmental crisis.

[Information sourced from Neos Kosmos]