On Thursday, the Czech Environmental Inspectorate confirmed the presence of cyanides in Bečva. Tens of thousands of fish have died in the river since the weekend. It is not yet known who caused the pollution. The police took over the investigation. “This morning’s analysis identified our original assumption that they were cyanides. Inspectors from Brno are currently looking for their origin, “said inspection spokeswoman Radka Nastoupilová.
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It is still not clear who caused the water poisoning in the Vsetín region. There is all sorts of speculation on the Internet. The biggest suspicion fell on the Valašské Meziříčí chemical plant. DEZA, which belongs to the Agrofert Group, but is not to blame. “We insist that pollution does not come from us. This has already been confirmed by the environmental inspection, “said company spokesman Karel Hanzelka. DEZA is a producer of aromatic hydrocarbons and other chemicals. “We have nothing to do with cyanides. Our production spectrum is completely different in nature, “added Hanzelka.
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Dozens of firefighters and volunteers from the ranks of fishermen and the public help to catch dead fish. “We are intervening on a section of about 30 kilometers and we have caught almost 20 tons of fish in the first two days. The death is massive and it is not possible for us to let the animals float on the surface, “said Lucie Balážová, a spokeswoman for the Olomouc fire brigade. These are fish of all kinds. Characteristic of Bečva are, for example, migratory oystercatchers, parma or red deer. Among the dead are also pike, zander and trout.
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Smelly fish, mosquitoes and overgrown shores. Working in such an environment is challenging. In addition, fishermen go to help in their free time after leaving their jobs. “We’ve been hunting like this for the fifth day. It’s a cat and we have our teeth full, “complained the local fisherman Ondřej Kašpar. In addition, snags appear. “Some fish got stuck deep under the rocks. This complicates our catch, “said Stanislav Pernický, chairman of the Czech Fishermen’s Association in Hustopeče nad Bečvou.
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The disaster will significantly affect the local ecosystem. “Not a single living creature remained in the river. However, water poisoning does not only concern fish, but all surrounding animals. Undoubtedly, it will affect otters, beavers, kingfishers, but also foxes that feed on fish, “said Pernický. The river will recover from something like this for more than ten years. “Cyanide is a hard-to-degrade substance, and the cloud, even if it is gradually diluted, continues along the river. Now it should be somewhere on the borders of Moravia, “added Pernický.
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The culprits of Vsetín are looking for criminal investigators. “We’re looking for the place from which the substance escaped. We have not yet accused anyone, “described the regional police spokesman Petr Jaroš. He did not want to provide more information about the investigation so as not to frustrate it. The perpetrator is threatened with up to six months’ imprisonment or a ban on activity for committing the crime of damaging and endangering the environment through negligence.
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