Environment Minister announces when fish safety to be checked

The environmental authorities have not identified any new oil slicks on the Dniester River in the area of Vadul lui Vodă, following information that appeared on social media. Minister of Environment Gheorghe Hajder made the statement at a TV show.

According to the minister, immediately after the information appeared, the Environmental Protection Inspectorate was sent to the field for checks.


“I immediately requested the Environmental Protection Inspectorate to go to the area and patrol. In the following hours they reported to me that no suspicious slick was found in that area. We are continuing the monitoring to make sure that there are no other risks,” Hajder said.


The minister specified that absorbent barriers previously installed on the Dniester, in the Arionești area and in other locations, are still being maintained as a precautionary measure.


“We still have absorbent barriers installed. They are being maintained to capture any traces of petroleum products that might detach from areas where they have previously accumulated, in vegetation or on the banks,” the official explained.


Gheorghe Hajder underlined that the effects of the recent petroleum pollution on the Dniester, which he described as “unprecedented” for the Republic of Moldova, will continue to be felt for some time.


“Even though we intervened quickly and a large part of the pollutant was removed, in certain areas along the banks traces of oil can still be seen. It will take a few more months until the situation returns completely to normal, including visually,” the minister said.


At present, the Ministry of Environment is carrying out an extensive study to assess the impact of the pollution on the river’s ecosystem and to determine the necessary measures for the coming period.


“We are working on a complex report that will show how this pollution has affected the environment and what interventions are needed. In less than a month we will have the complete results,” Gheorghe Hajder announced.


The Environment Minister announced that the source of the oil leak that occurred in March has been stopped and that no new discharges have been recorded.


“We have no new oil slicks. We are talking only about residues that previously settled in certain areas and that can still be observed in very small quantities,” Hajder explained.


In the context of the upcoming end of the fishing ban period, the minister stated that specialists will carry out additional analyses on fish from the Dniester to check for any effects of the pollution on aquatic fauna.


“We will collect fish samples to see whether there are any health risks. Depending on the results, specialists will issue recommendations regarding consumption and fishing in the coming period,” he concluded.


The Dniester pollution was caused in March 2026 by a massive spill of petroleum products in Ukraine’s Vinnytsia region, following Russian Federation bombardments on Ukraine’s energy and industrial infrastructure. The petroleum substances reached the Dniester River and were transported downstream, affecting the river sector on the territory of the Republic of Moldova as well. The authorities in Chișinău then declared a state of alert, installed protective barriers and intervened to limit the effects of the pollution on the ecosystem and on water sources.

The Republic of Moldova is documenting the damage caused by the petroleum pollution of the Dniester River and is preparing a case that could be presented before international courts in order to recover damages from the Russian Federation.