Pljevlja Prosecutor's Office dismisses fish kill investigation

The Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Pljevlja has dismissed a report regarding a mass fish kill in the Vezišnica River, stating there is no evidence that the Pljevlja Thermal Power Plant or its personnel caused the incident through wastewater discharge.

The incident, which occurred in July 2025, involved the death of approximately 40 kilograms of fish, including species such as grayling and trout. The thermal power plant reported it was offline due to a technical fault at the time of the event. While the Center for Ecotoxicological Testing (CETI) conducted water and fish sampling, the prosecutor's office concluded there was no basis for suspicion against the power plant.

In response, the Sportsko-ribolovni klub ‘Lipljen’ has appealed to the Prosecutor's Council, the EU Delegation, and Montenegrin environmental authorities. The club alleges significant procedural flaws, including improper sampling locations by CETI and the disregard of material evidence. They claim the investigation failed to account for specific discharge zones and noted high ammonia concentrations in certain water samples, suggesting the investigation should be expanded to other potential pollution sources.