South Moravian fishermen demand summer shutdown of hydropower plant over fish die-offs

South Moravian fishermen are calling for a seasonal shutdown of the Nové Mlýny hydropower plant to improve water quality and prevent massive fish die-offs in the summer months. The latest such incident resulted in 30 tonnes of dead fish near the village of Bulhary in late June.

Local fisheries stress the need for effective action that would support healthier rivers and biodiversity in the region and criticize what they see as a lackluster response from the authorities. Minister of Agriculture Marek Výborný (SPOLU) told reporters that the plant’s operations had been temporarily halted as a precautionary measure and the matter was being given serious consideration.