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Catfish alarm at Brombachsee: Bathers attacked again!
There were several catfish attacks on bathers in Lake Brombachsee in Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen. Injuries and police actions in focus.
Catfish alarm at Brombachsee: Bathers attacked again!
A serious incident in the Brombachsee adventure and leisure area has once again caused excitement: On Wednesday, a 69-year-old man was bitten on the arm by a catfish and suffered an abrasion. This is the second such attack in just a few weeks. InFranken reports that the man's injury was treated in the bank area near Absberg.
The first incident occurred on June 20, when five bathers were attacked by an aggressive catfish. At that time, the officials drew a clear conclusion: the catfish in question, which weighed 90 kilograms, was shot by a police officer and later prepared in 120 portions, which were completely consumed. A little macabre, but at the same time a little gastronomic. ZDF describes that the first incident also resulted in injuries that were treated by Red Cross helpers.
Causes of aggression
André Macher from the Central Franconian Fisheries Association states that the catfish's aggressive behavior is related to the low water level and the end of the spawning season. Catfish defend their eggs, which they often lay beneath blurred swimming platforms. According to Macher, there should be no further incidents in the near future as the spawning season is now over and a meeting between the water management agency and the fishing association is scheduled to take place next week to discuss the incidents. InFranken added that there are currently no precautionary measures against such incidents other than removing the bathing island or killing the fish.
Catfish are the largest freshwater fish in Europe and can be over three meters long and weigh up to 150 kilograms. They are widespread in Bavaria and feel particularly comfortable in slow-flowing waters. Although attacks on humans are rare, describes MDR that such biting attacks are usually due to nest defense. The aggressive catfish are usually old animals that often live to be over 30 years old.
In a new reality
Let's think about the future: Climate change has opened up new habitats for catfish and caused their populations to increase significantly. If falling temperatures left the fish population empty, catfish are now the winners of the heat. They benefit from warmer waters, which speed up spawning and increase the survival rate of young fish. These fish originally come from southern regions such as Hungary and Romania, but today they are spreading more and more. These circumstances shaped the first large catfish in Germany, so such incidents must be expected in the future.
The incident at Brombachsee shows us that nature always remains unpredictable and that sometimes, despite nice weather, it is not possible without caution. Bathers should be careful because with every catfish that comes out with an attack, coupled with the fact that these predatory fish are not averse to anything, there is always a risk that remains.