Pensioner Karin Hagnelöv discovered a massive amount of rotten vendace and herring on the beach in Kallax near Luleå. How the fish ended up there remains unclear, but the find resembles scenes from a Hitchcock film with swarming birds and a strong smell. A similar discovery occurred at the same time in another part of the archipelago.
It was last Wednesday when Karin Hagnelöv, during a dog walk in Jaktviken, encountered what first appeared to be a grayish shoreline. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a large amount of washed-up rotten vendace and herring. 'There were birds everywhere gathered here, it was like in a Hitchcock film. And it smelled of rotten fish,' Hagnelöv describes the find, which was first reported by NSD.
Dan Blomkvist, regional fisheries consultant in Norrbotten, explains that such incidents sometimes occur when trawlers get holes in their nets and fish wash up on beaches. But this case is unusual. 'What sets this apart is that it also happened at another location around the same time,' he says, referring to a similar find at Kunoögrundet in Luleå's southern archipelago.
Blomkvist refrains from speculating on whether the fish was dumped intentionally. The investigation is now closing due to lack of information. 'We currently do not have enough information about the incident to investigate further,' he states, appealing for tips from the public to clarify what happened.