Czech environmentalists call for aid to protect aquatic life from drought

Environmental organizations in the Czech Republic are launching urgent appeals to protect aquatic life amid water scarcity and declining water levels.

The Czech Union for Nature Conservation (ČSOP) is seeking volunteers to rescue mussels at the Slapy Reservoir. Due to prolonged drought and the need to maintain flow through the Vltava cascade, water levels are dropping, leaving mussels and other organisms stranded on exposed banks. ČSOP, in coordination with Povodí Vltavy, has identified 19 critical locations where volunteers are needed to return stranded animals to deeper water.

In the Moravian Karst region, conservationists are warning of massive losses to crayfish and fish populations. Following a heatwave, approximately 90 percent of the crayfish population in the Bílá Voda riverbed perished. The Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area administration is calling on regional authorities and pond owners to better manage water distribution and update pond manipulation regulations to adapt to climate change and prevent further ecological damage.