site.btaUnprecedented Pesticide Pollution in Maritsa River, Tonnes of Dead Fish

January 28 (BTA) - The level of pesticide-caused
pollution of the Maritsa River has never been higher, tonnes of
fish are dead. This was announced before the media on Tuesday by
 Marin Marinov, head of the Monitoring Directorate with the East
 Aegean River Basin Directorate, at a joint press conference of
district governor Dani Kanazireva and directors Stefan Shilev of
 Plovdiv's Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water and
Kamen Yankov of the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency.

The press conference took place after multiple reports of dead
fish in large amounts floating in two rivers in southern
Bulgaria, Maritsa and Chaya, were submitted to the authorities
during the weekend.

Samples have been taken at 19 locations in the Pazardjik-Plovdiv
 region, and the water has been tested for 86 agents that could
cause such toxic pollution. Cyanides, arsenic, mercury,
dissolved oxygen and undissolved substances all gave negative
results. However, the experts measured a twice-than-normal
concentration of two pesticides in the Pishmanka River which
flows into the Maritsa. The two substances are highly toxic, and
 are used for plant protection, Marinov explained.

The monitoring will continue with monthly sampling of the river
waters. Tonnes of fish is dead; the total damage caused is yet
to be calculated.

The company responsible for this grave crime against nature will
 be fined in compliance with the Environmental Damage Act, and
the fine can reach dozens of thousand of leva, Marinov pointed
out.

Currently, the water in the Maritsa is back to normal, said
Plovdiv's district governor, adding that there is no risk to the
 potable water in the city. However, fishing and watering
animals along the Maritsa remain restricted.

Checks are being carried out to control fish trade at
unregulated markets. Dani Kanazireva said that she is assembling
 a committee to monitor the six remaining depots for expired
pesticides in the Plovdiv district. RY/MT