Water danger at Brombachsee: catfish injures bathers, police shoot!

Water danger at Brombachsee: catfish injures bathers, police shoot!

There was recently a disturbing incident at Lake Brombachsee in Middle Franconia: an aggressive catfish attacked bathers. This led to the police resorting to sharp measures after the attack and eventually firing a shot. The fish, which was over two meters long and weighed around 90 kilograms, injured at least five swimmers. The Red Cross rescue workers took care of the bite wounds, although these injuries usually do not cause serious damage, as experience with catfish shows. Police spokesman Michael Petzold commented on this and emphasized that catfish are not normally aggressive. It is believed that the catfish was defending a nest near the swimmers and was therefore prone to this behavior, according to BR.de.

Reactions to the police operation were mixed. While fishing industry master Christian Forster defends the decision, there is strong criticism on social media. Critics argue that the catfish had to be killed rather than caught. The German Animal Welfare Association describes the killing of the catfish as “completely disproportionate” and instead suggests cordoning off the bank area instead of killing the fish. This raises the question of whether the furor surrounding these animal attacks should not demand a more prudent approach to wildlife. According to the Animal Welfare Association, fishing, which is practiced as a leisure activity by around 1.7 million people in Germany, repeatedly causes animal suffering, as fish are often exposed to unnecessary stress and pain while fishing, which is also documented in Tierschutzbund.de.

The catfish attacks and their background

Similar incidents like the attack in Middle Franconia are rare, but they are not unknown. Another incident that made the rounds in Switzerland recently occurred at Lake Greifen, where a swimmer named Daniela Z. was bitten by a catfish. This bite left a 15 centimeter long mark on her leg and caused her to burn intensely. Her friend, who is a doctor and fisherman, estimated the size of the catfish to be at least three feet. It is noticeable that catfish are usually active at night and attacks are hardly to be expected near swimmers during the day. Daniela suspects that the catfish attacked her due to the lower number of swimmers in the pool, which was closed due to flooding, which indicates the unusual situation that may have shocked these fish, as Tagesanzeiger.ch also reports.

The catfish has been found in many Swiss waters in recent years, surprising everyone who is not familiar with its existence. This species is not a native fish to Switzerland and is often considered to be released illegally. Despite the bites, it is theoretically not considered dangerous because its small teeth usually do not cause serious injuries. For many anglers and nature observers, the catfish remains a fascinating, if potentially scary, creature in our waters.

In summary, the case at Brombachsee shows how important it is to deal responsibly with nature and the living creatures associated with it. The questions that arise from such an incident concern not only the safety of bathers, but also the protection of the fish themselves and how they are treated.