Mass fish deaths in Porsuk Dam lead to concerns
KÜTAHYA
Recently discovered mass fish and crayfish deaths in the waters of the Porsuk Dam, located in the western province of Kütahya, have led to concerns among locals, causing authorities to launch an investigation into the incident.
Over the weekend, hundreds of dead fish and crayfish have washed ashore from the Porsuk Dam, near the Sofça village, leading villagers to notify the issue to the authorities.
Officials from the provincial directorate for the Environment and Urbanization Ministry as well as the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry have taken samples of the water in the dam and the dead fish and have initiated an investigation, Demirören News Agency reported on Sept. 24.
“This incident happened over the weekend. As you see right now, we are facing a natural catastrophe. We were exporting the crayfish. The villagers were earning an income of around 800,000 Turkish Liras. What will happen after this? If this pollution cannot be prevented, its results will be bad for all of us. We have no idea as to its reason, but it is out in the open that pollution is the cause,” Sofça Fisheries Cooperative President Gültekin Çaksaz told the agency.
“Normally, in small scales of pollutions, these fish would die, but not the crayfish. Crayfish are animals that fasten onto marshes and protect themselves, but they have also died and washed ashore. There is a smell coming from the water, which is quite sensible,” Çaksaz said.
One of the villagers named Serpil Büyükköse told the agency she had been fishing for 15 years and the current situation had “victimized” her and other fisherfolk in the area.
“Our means of living is finished and the fish are dead. We do not know what to do anymore. No such thing like this had happened before. I have been fishing for the last 15 years, but nothing like this had happened,” Büyükköse said.
