Spanish authorities have rescued fish from a river that has almost dried up due to a prolonged drought, as Spain experiences unseasonably high temperatures, which forecasters attribute to climate change.

In the city of Girona, in northeastern Spain, experts used mild “electric shocks” to immobilize the fish in the River Oniar, place them in plastic bags and transport them to the River Ter, about 10 kilometers away. Ter level is significantly higher.

Only endemic fish were brought to Ter, while imported species were euthanized.

Rainfall in Spain has been below average for the country for 36 consecutive months. Reservoirs are 50% full but in some areas, such as Catalonia in the northeast and Andalusia in the south, their level has dropped to around 25%.

The image of workers splashing in the river trying to save the fish, with water barely reaching their ankles, was the exact opposite of the one in 2019, when Oniar overflowed during a storm.

Last month, in the Sau reservoir, which is 100 kilometers north of Barcelona and is only 10% full, fishing boats caught many tons of fish.

The fish were struggling to survive in the water, due to its low oxygen content, and authorities were forced to euthanize them to avoid contaminating drinking water.

Spain is experiencing an unusual heat wave for the season and the weather service AEMET believes this April will be the hottest on record.