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Talk between the Environment Ministers of Poland and Germany

06.12.2022

"We are effectively restoring the Oder River ecosystem in order to make the best possible contribution to the recovery of the Oder fish population. This work is being carried out by a team of hydro-biologists, ichthyologists and geneticists, with the participation of scientists from Poland and abroad," said Climate and Environment Minister Anna Moskwa during a video conference with her German counterpart, Federal Minister for Environment, Steffi Lemke. The conversation, which took place on 23 November 2022, concerned the discussion of results of the preliminary Report of the Team for the Situation Arising on the Oder River and the planned measures to prevent such events in the future.

Talk between the Environment Ministers of Poland and Germany

During the discussion, Minister Anna Moskwa summarised the results of the Report of the Team for the Situation Arising on the Oder River, which was published by the Polish side on 30 September 2022. As she pointed out, the situation on the Oder River was caused by a number of factors, mainly a massive bloom of golden algae and the fast-acting toxins they produce. In addition, the bloom was fostered by other factors, such as changing water parameters and increasing salinity, hot weather that raises water temperature and sunshine that accelerates algal growth, among others.

The Minister of Climate and Environment added that in-depth analyses of water parameters are still being carried out to indicate the correlation between the occurrence of golden algae and other factors that influenced its growth. Minister Moskwa stressed that it is crucial that further research continues.

We have also identified areas where salt levels are low. Hence our belief that further research and comparing more parameters will help us find the answer to this question,

she pointed out.

We know that biogenes are important. As of today, however, we still do not have precise information on under which conditions the alga appears, so we are continuing our research in this area,

she added.

The head of the Climate and Environment Ministry, further pointed out the need for the German side to implement the 2015 agreement on flood control measures on the Oder River. She also pointed out that Polish side is responsible for carrying out effective flood protection for residents and countering the effects of drought.

We are bound by the international Polish-German agreement, therefore the works on the Oder, in accordance with the environmental decision issued, will be effectively implemented,

she reminded.

At the same time, Minister Moskwa thanked the German side for the intensive cooperation of the German-Polish working group of experts for the Oder, as well as for the German side's declaration of readiness to quickly resume the activities of the working group on transboundary environmental impact assessments.

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