Damage to rivers following flooding in Siberia was estimated at more than 170 tons of bioresources.

Total damage to aquatic bioresources in river basins Irtysh, Tobol, Tavda, Tura, Pyshma и Nice The catastrophic flood of 2026 resulted in 171 tons of water. An assessment of the consequences was presented at a meeting of the State Duma Committee on Ecology, Natural Resources, and Environmental Protection based on calculations. Tyumen branch of VNIRO.

This is the first time a similar situation has been observed in this area during the entire observation period, and the extent of damage turned out to be greater than during the September accidents in Taimyr, due to its significantly larger area.

Losses of juvenile and adult fish

The loss of future offspring accounted for the bulk of this loss—169,000 tons of unborn and dead juvenile fish. The immediate weight of adult fish lost exceeded 1,625 tons. Nearly 200 tons of food—zooplankton and zoobenthos—were also destroyed.

Causes of death and recovery time

The main cause of the fish die-off was a drop in oxygen levels as the water warmed to 24–28°C. Valuable species suffered a severe blow: sturgeon, sterlet, and nelma perished. It will take two to four years for the remaining stock to replenish, while the recovery of whitefish and sturgeon will take decades: nelma mature in 10 – 12 years, and sturgeon - up to 18 years.

To compensate for the losses, ichthyologists are demanding the release of over 14 million young specimens of valuable fish.

Materials on environmental damage have been sent to the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation.