STA, 12 July 2022 - Local fishermen have in recent days removed around 150 kilograms of decomposing pork from the Gradaščica river east of Ljubljana, the web portal of the commercial broadcaster POP TV has reported, noting that the perpetrators have not been found yet.
The foul meat was removed based on a decision by a veterinary inspector by members of the fishing club Dolomiti (Ribiška družina Dolomiti) from the municipality of Dobrova-Polhov Gradec.
Representatives of the Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection Administration have told 24ur.com that the duty official veterinarian was notified of by-products of animal origin in the Gradaščica on 4 July.
The contamination was detected along the road between Dobrova and Polhov Gradec, some 50 metres from a local restaurant. The case has also been handled by the police, who have informed the Environment Inspectorate, the portal says.
Disposal of animal remains in the environment is prohibited by law, as illegally dumped animal by-products may pose a risk of transmission of animal-borne diseases, with African swine fever currently being the biggest cause for concern.
The fishermen are meanwhile unhappy by the veterinary inspector ordering them to remove the decomposing meat from the river, and it is not clear whether they will be paid for the work done.
The Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection Administration said that fishing clubs, i.e. concessionaires are obliged to act in cases of mass fish deaths and remove the dead fish, while this obligation does not apply to other cadavers.
