Dead fish blanket Greek tourist port after flooding

An image taken with a drone shows dead fish gathered in the protective net, at the mouth of the Xiria stream, Volos, August28. [Nicolaos Hatzipolitis/EPA]

Greek authorities have started collecting hundreds of thousands of dead fish that poured into a tourist port in the central city of Volos this week after being displaced from their usual freshwater habitats during flooding last year.

The floating carcasses created a silvery blanket across the port and a stench that alarmed residents and authorities who raced to scoop them up before the odour reached nearby restaurants and hotels.

"It spans kilometers," city council member Stelios Limnios told Reuters. "It's not just along the coast, but also in the center of the Pagasetic Gulf," he said, referring to the area offshore Volos whose coast is lined with holiday homes.

On Wednesday, trawlers dragged nets to collect the fish that were then dumped in the back of trucks. More than 40 tonnes have been collected in the last 24 hours, authorities said.

An excavator...

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