Overview

• Since Friday, numerous flounder, plaice and cod have washed ashore along beaches from Markgrafenheide and Hohe Düne through Warnemünde to Heiligendamm.
• Commercial fishing for consumption is temporarily prohibited in the affected stretch, and anglers elsewhere along the coast are urged not to eat their catches.
• Swimming remains legally permitted, yet the local health office advises against bathing until the cause is clarified.
• A multi-agency crisis team has been convened, samples have been collected and laboratory analyses are underway with results expected next week.
• City officials note a similar local fish die-off in October 2020 that was attributed to low oxygen, while stressing the current cause has not been confirmed.