The situation is of utmost concern when it comes to the pollution of Cehotina river polluted by the Lead Mine and Zinc Suplja Stijena and it can be seen at Mjedenichki stream that flows into this river.
The water of this stream, which flows from the direction of the Suplja Stijena Mine and flows into Cehotina, in previous years was practically the colour of ore, while this year it is white. The “Lipljen”, Sports and Fishing Club, which manages the waters of Pljevlja, says that they are taking some protection measures, and that one of those steps this year is to set up fishermen on the part of the river stream that is most vulnerable.
“The Fish-keeping Service is obliged to monitor the situation with Mjedenicki stream on a daily basis, to photograph and record the appearance of the water of this stream” – says President of “Lipljen” Vaso Knezevic, explaining that discussions are planned with representatives of the Lead and Zinc Mine Suplja Stijena on the topic of pollution of Mjedenicki stream that also pollutes the Cehotina river.
“We hope that we will come to a solution with these discussions” – says Knezevic, adding that in 2017, a research was conducted on the fish stock on parts of the river stream where the Mjedenicki stream flows and that it was literally destroyed. In the report, which we had an insight into, done by by Dr Danilo Mrdak, Mjedenicki stream was designated as a major pollutant of the Cehotina river. According to that report, in May 2017, the presence of fish in Cehotina was large, while in August of the same year, there was no fish downstream of the mouth of Mjedenicki stream.
“At first we suspected poaching and we continued and extended our transect to some 800 meters where we also did not detect any fish. What was extra strange to us was that we did not detect the youngest individuals or trout which was suspicious to us, because when it comes to poaching, the youngest individuals always remain in the place where it occurs” – the report said.
Mrdak also stated that greyish-yellow foam was observed on the water, in quieter areas along the rocks or deeper whirlpools, and was suspected of pollution.
The fishermen explained that there was additional pollution from the surface mine of Gradir Montengro Company, which reaches the Cehotina River via the Mjednik stream, which flows into Cehotin in Jelice, which is upstream of Tatarovin. By a trial catch on the Cehotina river several hundred meters above and one hundred meters below the place where this stream flows, we have determined that it is most likely the pollution that reaches the surface of the mine after the ore flotation process is responsible for the absence of fish fauna, that is. for fish poisoning.
By visual observation alone and without trial fishing, it is clear that this is a very serious chemical pollution because the stream and its banks have an apocalyptic appearance of yellow-gray.
“Local types of fish were detected at the site upstream of the creek, while no species of fish were detected downstream of the creek” – Mrdak said in the report, pointing out that this part of the Cehotina River may be the best habitat for the globally endangered fish species in Europe.
Gradir Montenegro company claims that they are taking all measures of environment protection
The company Gradir Montenegro, which includes the Suplja Stijena mine, repeatedly informed that all necessary protection measures are being taken and that they are not pollutants of Cehotina. They also claim that the flotation system functions completely as a closed system when it comes to the use of water, that is, that the same water is used repeatedly with, allegedly, its purification. The lead and zinc mine Suplja Stijena is owned by ZGH Boleslav of Poland.
Source: pvportal.me
