Support measures of municipal enterprises Volos and South Pelion which were adversely affected by the extreme phenomenon with the dead fish to Pagasitic Gulf are launched in the next period. At the same time, the Ministries of Environment, Energy and Health they provided an update on the environmental and health risk assessment in the area.

According to a joint announcement by the Ministries of National Economy and Finance, Health, Environment and Energy, Labor and Social Security and Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, following the cooperation of the Minister of State, Mr. Akis Skertsou, the Deputy Minister of Finance, responsible for fiscal policy, Mr. Thanos Petralias and the Deputy Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, responsible for state aid, Mr. Christos Triandopoulos, the launching of a series of support measures for the entrepreneurs of the Municipalities of Volos and South Pelion who were adversely affected by the extreme phenomenon with dead fish is announced in the Pagasitic Gulf.

In particular, business support measures are being launched in the next period in a specific perimeter of beneficiaries in terms of the sector and the region, around the Pagasitikos Gulf, which are specified as follows:

1st. Subsidy for businesses with a loss in turnover due to the extreme phenomenon compared to a previous corresponding time period.

2nd Suspension of payment of tax and insurance obligations for businesses in the said perimeter for a specific period.

3rd. Activation of the Thessaly Pass support scheme next year as well with targeted features in the areas around Pagasitikos, but also an increase in the amount for the Thessaly Pass that is already underway for the current year.

4th Securing funding for the creation of an integrated promotion program for Pagasitikos during the next period in a framework of cooperation between the competent Ministries and local bodies.

The implementation of the above measures is progressing, taking into account the requests of local agencies and actors, as well as the meetings held with the businessmen who were affected. The channels of cooperation and communication remain open with the institutions of Magnesia and the entrepreneurs of the region.

At the same time, after investigations and checks carried out by competent levels of the Ministry of Environment and Energy, through the environmental inspectors who visited the area, and of the Ministry of Health, through EODY, the government proceeds with the following update:

(1) The Ministry of Health through the EODY from the beginning of the phenomenon put the Public Health laboratories at the disposal of the Region of Thessaly for carrying out laboratory controls at the swimming beaches. The recommendation of the EODY was, in parallel with the laboratory checks, to carry out a sanitary identification of the swimming beaches and, if dead fish are found, to make a recommendation to avoid swimming.

To date, samples have been taken from 9 swimming beaches in the Municipality of Volos and were laboratory tested at the Regional Public Health Laboratory (PEDY) of the EODY in Thessaly. Microbial indicators of faecal contamination (Colobacter and Enterococcus) were found at all swimming beaches (except one that has a chronic burden) within the limits of the legislation and in accordance with a series of measurements of the previous years including 2024.

In the samples tested, an increase in total microbial flora was found without specific pathogens associated with disease being identified. Sampling is planned daily for the next few days on all coasts in collaboration with the Region.

If there are no more dead fish and the coast continues to show good indicators of faecal contamination, the District Health Directorate will be given the opportunity to recommend that swimming be allowed.

Based on the current data on the etiology of the phenomenon, there is no question of a public health risk. EODY will continue to provide support to the Region of Thessaly in any appropriate way, based on competence.

(2) The Ministry of Environment and Energy sent a group of environmental inspectors for an autopsy in the area of ​​Karla on Thursday 29/8, an autopsy which will continue next week in the wider area as far as the Pinios River, including the irrigation and drainage networks of the area, for the investigation of any responsibilities.

In addition, through a program contract that the Ministry of Environment and Energy has with the University of the Aegean (Department of Oceanography and Marine Biosciences), the evolution of the extent of the phenomenon in the wider area of ​​Pagasitikos is continuously monitored with high definition satellite images.

(3) The phenomenon is also continuously monitored by the Thessaly Protected Areas Management Unit, which also submitted a relevant detailed report on Friday 8/30.

It is pointed out that the destruction of dead fish must be done by the services that have collected them in accordance with the provisions of European Regulation 1069/2009 “on health rules for animal by-products and derived products not intended for human consumption” (https:/ /eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2009/1069/2019-12-14) in properly licensed units that exist in the area. For the quantities of dead fish mixed with sand, algae and garbage, the Ministry of Environment and Energy has put the Region in contact with a company that has offered to help depending on the Region’s needs.