Ecologist urges multi-year ban on eating the Nistru fish
Fish in the Nistru River may be contaminated due to recent pollution from petroleum products. Environmentalists are suggesting a ban on consuming fish from the Nistru for the next three years.
The National Food Safety Agency will collect samples from the Nistru River to check for fish contamination following the oil crisis, despite the situation on the river having stabilized. This was announced by the Minister of Environment, Gheorghe Hajder.
The Minister advised against consuming fish from the Nistru, as they may have absorbed pollutants.
Ecologist Ilia Trombitchi stated that if he had the authority, he would prohibit the consumption of fish from the Nistru River for the next three years. He cited recent oil spills and highly toxic organic pollutants that have lingered in the water for years, primarily from old electrical equipment, including transformers, as reasons for this stance.
"At present, we do not know the exact source of the pollution. The most likely culprit is the oil from the transformers. Since the quantity is quite large, this oil contains highly toxic chemicals that are difficult to destroy. I hope we will soon have more accurate information regarding the nature of the pollution," the ecologist said during an interview on the "Zi de Zi" show on Radio Moldova.
When asked to comment on the authorities' plan for additional checks on the Nistru, Trombitchi pointed out that the effectiveness of the testing depends on which substances are analyzed.
"If the substances I am referring to are analyzed, that would be sufficient. However, it is crucial that the analyses conducted are accurate," he emphasized.
During the prohibition period, there is a significant risk of illegal fish trading, including in Chisinau. The ecologist highlighted the likelihood of contaminated fish reaching the market during this time: "Absolutely, because I have seen and know about pike perch, and soon there will be Danube mackerel as well. For this reason, I believe that the state is not effectively controlling the quality of fish available for sale."
It is important to note that on March 16, a 15-day state of environmental alert was declared in the Republic of Moldova in response to pollution of the Nistru River, following attacks on the Novodnestrovsk Hydroelectric Power Plant on March 7.
In response, national authorities, with the support of specialists from Romania, have installed over 20 pollutant-absorbing dams at various locations, including Naslavcea, Arionești, and in the water catchment areas of Cosăuți and Vadul lui Vodă.
