Mass fish kill in Sava River near Zagreb; activists suspect wastewater spill

Volunteers and the Ecology of the City association have raised alarms over a massive fish die-off in the Sava River near Zagreb. The association reported that on Tuesday, an unknown wastewater discharge from the CUPOV Zagreb treatment plant allegedly caused the deaths of numerous fish downstream.

"The situation on the ground is even worse than it initially seemed," the association stated, sharing photos of the dead fish. They emphasized that the Sava River is a vital habitat for many species and are demanding to know what exactly was released into the water and if it is the cause of the fish kill.

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On Tuesday, untreated wastewater was released from the CUPOV Zagreb plant, causing a massive fish kill downstream in the Sava River. Volunteers sent us information about this disaster with photos, and today we went to the site and checked, and it's even worse than it seemed.

The association has formally requested Hrvatske vode, the Environmental Inspectorate, and the City of Zagreb to urgently determine the cause and composition of the discharged wastewater. They also seek public disclosure of the analysis results and call for sanctions against responsible parties, remediation of damages, and stricter oversight of the CUPOV plant's operations.

"Incidents like these cannot and must not remain unresolved and 'forgotten,'" the association declared, vowing to monitor the case and continue seeking answers from authorities. Zagrebački Holding has been contacted for clarification regarding the events at the CUPOV plant and any connection to the fish kill.

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Incidents like these cannot and must not remain unresolved and 'forgotten.'