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Environment & Climate

European drought and heatwave cause widespread damage to freshwater fish ecosystems and aquaculture

High temperatures and receding waters across Central and Eastern Europe have devastated fish farms and wild habitats, prompting emergency interventions.

Updated Aug 29, 2026 · 07:20 UTC2 reports

The short version

  • Severe drought and heat across Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Hungary have depleted water bodies and depleted oxygen levels, causing millions of euros in damage to commercial fisheries and natural habitats.
  • In Hungary, nearly 280 metric tons of fish have died across 20 farms, while emergency responders in Slovenia pumped 8 million liters of water into Lake Pristava to stop fish suffocation.
  • Fisheries and local authorities are using emergency measures such as reduced feeding, pond aeration, liquid oxygen supplementation, and fish relocation to keep stocks alive.
  • Industry representatives emphasize that replacing lost stocks like multi-year carp will take years, highlighting the need for long-term water retention policies.

Key facts

  • Hungary's Agriculture and Food Economy Ministry reported that 1,588 hectares of fish ponds dried out, killing almost 280 metric tons of fish across 20 farms and causing an estimated 1.3 billion forints ($4.2 million) in lost revenue.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • According to Hungary's national meteorological service, approximately 99% of the country's land is experiencing severe or extreme drought conditions.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • Slovenian firefighters and emergency crews pumped 8 million liters of water into Lake Pristava in an effort to prevent mass fish suffocation.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • In a side channel of the Danube River in Novi Sad, Serbia, water receded into isolated shallow pools where temperatures surpassed 30 degrees Celsius.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • The president of Romania's ROMFISH Association stated that current losses compound damage from droughts in 2023 and 2024 due to carp's three- to four-year growth cycle.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • Czech fish farmers implemented emergency responses including suspending feeding, aerating ponds, and draining low-water marginal ponds.[Associated Press · ABC News]

What remains uncertain

  • Slovenian emergency responders expressed fear that pumping 8 million liters of water into Lake Pristava may still be insufficient to prevent severe fish loss.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • The total economic loss across the entire European aquaculture sector remains unquantified, though preliminary estimates place overall damages in the millions of euros.[Associated Press · ABC News]

Sources