Magdeburg (dpa/sa) - Due to the persistent heat, Saxony-Anhalt's anglers are concerned about the health of the fish stocks in the state. We see the danger of a "total loss" of the fish population, especially in smaller standing waters, said Gerhard Jarosz, spokesman for the Saxony-Anhalt State Anglers' Association. In the Mansfeld-Südharz district, large fish such as pike would not have survived the constant heat in some lakes.
In particular, smaller bodies of water without a natural inlet could heat up quickly, Jarosz said. Due to the heat, less oxygen can be bound in the water. It becomes dangerous below a certain threshold, according to Jarosz. "We can't go there or move the fish en masse. We don't have a chance." Predatory fish such as pike and zander are particularly sensitive to a lack of oxygen. Once the process of dying begins in the water, the process is difficult to stop, explained Jarosz. The decomposition also releases toxic substances, which in turn accelerate the process.
