Every year, hundreds of kilograms of fish die as a result of the operations of Elektroprivreda Crne Gore, which drains the Zeta canal due to renovation at the end of July or beginning of August, according to the NGO Green Home. The NGO reacted after the Society of Environmentalists from Nikšić published a video on Facebook, which, they say, shows "consequences from this year". The GH invited the fisheries inspector of the Ministry of Agriculture to publish information on the conducted inspection and to prosecute violators.
The EPCG told "Vijesta" that, due to the regular annual overhaul of the "Perućica" Hydroelectric Power Plant, during the preparatory work, the discharge of water from the system began on July 31, and that they informed the "Nikšić" Sports and Fishing Society about everything, so that they , as in previous years, took adequate actions to save the fish stock. Club President Slobodan Banović told "Vijesta" that the situation has been repeating itself for years and that "it is inevitable that a certain amount of fish will leave the reservoirs and enter the canal system, because the system is currently designed that way".
"During the overhaul, all the water is drained from the channel and the water from the entire system is drained. EPCG informs us every year about the overhaul and the Club, together with specialized teams, organizes the removal of fish. This usually takes two days. We managed to collect the largest part of the fish and return it later to the reservoir. This year we pulled out about three tons, but there is always a certain amount of fish that is technically impossible to pull out," said Banović, adding that every action is always followed by an inspection. He expects the situation to be resolved when EPCG completes the barrage project. EPCG said that, in order to solve this problem in the most efficient way, they hired eminent experts from the University of Montenegro, who made a conceptual project with several possible variants of the construction of the barrage.
"The main purpose of the reservoirs is to produce electricity at the Perućica HPP, and its normal operation cannot be called into question," EPCG said, adding that test studies have been done and that the plan will be implemented when all the necessary funds are obtained. necessary, both technical and financial conditions.
From the NGO Green Home, however, they believe that there is no room for waiting.
"While they promise the implementation of fish paths, the best and most efficient emptying system and the construction of dams on the overflows of reservoirs, the damage caused to the fish stock from a few days ago can be seen on the video".
SRK "Nikšić" announced last year that about 10 tons of fish were destroyed at the locks on the Salt Lake and in Norin due to the overhaul of the Zeta canal. Even then, they were informed about everything, but, as the media reported, "due to the lifting of the flaps, a large amount of fish fry and edible fish were carried away by the water through the culverts into the turbines, which ground them".
Last year, during the overhaul, about four tons of fish were saved, the year before about 6.600 kilograms, which is twice as much as during the last month.
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