Angling restrictions to be lifted on Bečva River; fish now deemed safe for consumption

As of next year, a restricted catch-and-release regime will no longer apply to a 42-kilometer stretch of the Bečva River, from Choryně near Valašské Meziříčí to its confluence with the Morava River at Tovačov. The measure was introduced by anglers five years ago after a cyanide spill killed some 40 tons of fish.

Jakub Vávra of the Czech Fishing Union said recent analyses confirm that fish from the river are now safe for consumption. Following the disaster, anglers restocked the river with hundreds of thousands of young fish, funded in part by a public collection that raised nearly three million crowns.