ESD 16:15:01 26-01-2020

MY1612ES.104

104 ENVIRONMENT - MARITSA RIVER - POLLUTION



Huge Amount of Dead Fish Reported

in Maritsa River

Near Pazardzhik





Pazardzhik, southern Bulgaria, January 26 (BTA) - The Plovdiv Appellate Prosecution Office is working to identify the source of a pollution that killed a huge amount of fish in Maritsa River on Saturday. Multiple reports of dead fish floating along a stretch of the river between the southern village of Ognyanovo and Plovdiv downstream, have been submitted to the authorities.



Pre-trial proceedings have been initiated in response to the river's pollution, which has caused environmental damage. The pre-trial proceedings are supervised by the Pazardzhik Regional Prosecution Office, while the investigation is conducted by the Interior Ministry's Economic Police department in Pazardzhik.



Three locations along the river and four companies in the vicinity have been inspected by the authorities. Samples have been taken from the water and fish has been sent for further tests to shed light on the type of pollution that killed the fish.



The law enforcement authorities have warned local people not to collect or consume the dead fish because it could pose a health risk.



bTV quotes local environmental inspectors as saying that the likely polluter is a Pazardzhik-based company that processes plastics. The company denies having anything to do with this.



According to the Olympic 2000 fishing association, the pollution has killed tonnes of fish. They believe that it will take around ten years for life to recover in the affected section in the river, bTV said. LN/MY

Source: Pazardzhik, southern Bulgaria