Treska River pollution linked to fish die-off near Kichevo

Official documents from the Veterinary Faculty at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje confirm that the Treska River near Kichevo is classified as Category V, indicating highly polluted water with severely disrupted ecological quality. Analysis of water samples revealed extreme organic and fecal loading, including ammonia levels up to 11.5 mg/l, total nitrogen up to 20 mg/l, and E. coli/coliform bacteria counts exceeding 3,000 CFU/ml.

Pathohistological examinations of dead Macedonian trout showed necrotic changes in the liver and hemorrhagic nephritis, with microbiology identifying Aeromonas encheleia, A. caviae, and A. bestiarum. The faculty concluded that the fish die-off is likely linked to this heavy water pollution.

The political party Levica is calling for an immediate criminal investigation by the Prosecutor's Office to identify the sources of pollution and hold responsible parties accountable. They are demanding continuous, publicly accessible water quality monitoring and an urgent audit of the Kichevo wastewater treatment plant to determine why it failed to prevent untreated waste from entering the river system.