Persistent drought and scorching heat this summer have ravaged ecosystems and businesses across Europe, particularly impacting the fish industry. Rivers, lakes, and fish farms are under severe pressure from extreme weather, leading to significant fish deaths and estimated losses in the millions of euros.
In Serbia, a side channel of the Danube River has receded into shrinking ponds, endangering juvenile fish due to low water levels and temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). Fisherman Dusan Jovanovic expressed concern that if the fish begin to die, they will all perish at once.
Hungary is experiencing widespread drought, with nearly 99% of its land under severe or extreme conditions. Desertification is a growing threat across the Great Hungarian Plain. The country's fish ponds, covering approximately 67,000 acres, have been significantly affected. According to the Agriculture and Food Economy Ministry, 3,924 acres of fish ponds have dried out, resulting in the deaths of nearly 280 metric tons of fish across 20 farms. The estimated revenue loss for Hungary is $4.2 million, and producers indicate that replacing lost fish could take years. Some operators have been forced to drain one pond to supply water to another.
Fish farmers in Romania, especially those cultivating carp, are facing the ongoing effects of severe droughts experienced in previous years. Catalin Platon, president of the ROMFISH National Association of Fish Producers, noted that the three-to-four-year production cycle for carp means that losses from past years continue to impact the industry. He also highlighted that water-use policies, which have prioritized irrigation for agriculture during droughts, have left insufficient water for fish.
Across the Czech Republic, fish farmers have implemented emergency measures such as reducing or suspending feeding to conserve oxygen, aerating ponds, or draining them when necessary. While sustained rainfall could alleviate the immediate crisis, long-term solutions are needed to improve water retention. Some marginal ponds have already been fished due to low water levels, with plans being made for larger ponds.
In Bosnia, Veljko Budjen, owner of a trout farm near Trebinje, faces challenges as trout, a cold-water fish requiring high oxygen levels, are affected by hot and dry summers. Production and feeding are reduced during summer to ensure survival, with adding liquid oxygen to the water being one option. He stated that farmers are otherwise left to wait for rain.
In Slovenia, emergency teams have been pumping water into Lake Pristava to prevent a mass suffocation of fish, but the efforts may not be enough. Firefighters have supplied 8 million liters (2 million gallons) of water, yet concerns remain about the surviving fish and the overgrowth of water chestnut on the lake's surface.
Scientists have linked these extreme weather events to human-induced climate change. Countries and businesses are now considering ways to mitigate the impact of future extreme weather events, as they found themselves unprepared for the current crisis.