You're reading: High temperatures cause massive deaths in Azov Sea fish

KYIV, July 24 – High air and water temperatures in the Azov Sea near Berdiansk (Zaporizhia region) have caused large numbers of fish to die off, the Interfax News Agency reported.

Air temperatures along the Azov Sea coast over the weekend rose to 31 degrees Celsius, while water temperatures reached 26 degrees, the Emergencies Situations Ministry’s press service said on Monday, causing a considerable drop in the sea’s oxygen level, and the resulting suffocation of the fish. A large number of the fish washed up onto the Berdiansk coastline.

Eighty people and 12 sets of equipment are currently involved in clean-up operations, and have collected over 40 tons of dead fish. At the same time, inhabitants also collected the fish, resulting in the appearance on local markets.

Specialists from the sanitary and epidemiological station and the environmental security administration are working at the scene of the disaster. The situation is being monitored by the district state administration for issues of extreme situations and defense of the population from the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster.