Thousands of fish in the Vantaa River have been dying for lack of oxygen. The situation is worst downstream from Riihimäki. The problem is attributed largely to runoff from organic material and agricultural fertilisers which were washed into the river by the recent flooding.
The decomposing fish are adding to the high bacteria content caused by sewage that was also washed into the river by the flooding.
Meanwhile, the state may pay out more in flood compensation than was originally expected. Second Finance Minister Ulla-Maj Wideroos (Swedish People’s Party) says that the issue will be discussed when the government decides on a supplementary budget.
Leena Villa of the Uusimaa Environment Centre says that oxygen has been depleted from the Vantaa river north of the Nukarinkoski rapids, and that there are reports of thousands of dead fish on the banks of the river.
Biologist Mikko Koivurinta of the Uusimaa Employment and Development Centre says that young fish and crayfish are the first to succumb to inadequate oxygen levels.
"I place my hope in the Nukarinkoski rapids, which oxygenate large amounts of water, and will hopefully keep the oxygen-depletion from moving downstream."
The situation is not expected to improve very soon, as nutrient-rich water is still flowing from fields into the river. The full extent of the damage is expected to become known early in the autumn.
Meanwhile, repairing the damage of the recent flooding could exceed the EUR 841,000 earmarked for flood damage in this year’s budget. Many homeowners’ insurance policies do not cover damage caused by heavy rains and flooding.
Second Finance Minister Ulla-Maj Wideroos visited areas of Ostrobothnia on Friday to survey the damage. On Monday she plans to meet with local officials to discuss the aftermath of the flooding.
Also visiting the area on Monday will be the Minister of the Environment, Jan-Erik Enestam (Swed. People’s Party).
