In the Vilstalsee in Lower Bavaria there is a mysterious dying of mussels. Since the beginning of June, an increasing number of dead mussels have been discovered in the water near Marklkofen (District of Dingolfing-Landau). “So far, the cause is still largely unclear,” reported the head of the Landshut water management office, Constantin Sadgorski, on Wednesday.
The authority, which operates the reservoir itself, has so far tried unsuccessfully to find out the cause of the mussel death. The water conditions at the lake and the samples examined in the laboratory were unremarkable. “Typical causes such as lack of oxygen, blue-green algae or cyanobacteria could be ruled out as the cause,” explained the head of department. Other pollutants, parasites or pathogens could also be considered. Therefore, the Bavarian State Office for the Environment in Augsburg should now examine mussels from the lake more closely.
The mussels are the pond mussel (Anodonta cygnea). “Like all other freshwater mussels, this one is under species protection in Germany,” said Sadgorski.