Fish farmers in Hungary are under huge pressure with challenges posed by heatwaves, as they grapple with low water levels, rising temperature and water supply shortages. Hungary produces around 23,500 tons of fish annually, and most of that production come from small ponds. This year, the heatwaves and dry weather have led to the falling of water levels, making it impossible for fish to survive in some ponds. "We are being forced to fish out this pond, something we do not like to do. But since only 13 percent of the lake's water remains, we have to collect all the fish," said Ferenc Levai, owner of a local fish farm. Levai said that after all the fish were pulled from the water, they were loaded onto a truck, and taken to a temporary pond where the conditions are better. The problem is not just the amount of water, but also the water temperature. As ponds become shallower, temperatures rise and oxygen levels fall. Fish become stressed, and entire stocks can die. "We usually produce about 1,000 tons of fish each year. This year, we've already lost about 350 tons, and it's not over," said Levai. Hungarian biologist Gergo Boros, who is a research associate professor at the Balaton Limnological Research Institute, warned that rising temperatures risk altering the food chain. "What we expect is a gradual shift in the species composition of these lakes, not only fish, but [also] the basic food resources of fish," he said. For many fish farmers, water supply is becoming a central problem, as they are also competing with vegetable farmers who depend on irrigation for their crops. "Now we are caught in a water war. A large irrigation system has been built upstream, taking water that used to flow to us," said Levai
Hungarian fish farmers grapple with drought, rising temperature
