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A German fisherman and his 2.5-metre catfish in Italy last year. Photo: DPA

Giant catfish empty rivers, turn cannibal

Published: 8 Sep 12 12:53 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/sci-tech/20120908-44849.html

Giant catfish are becoming an increasing problem in German rivers and lakes, with one monstrous 2.5-metre specimen even said to be eating swans in a river it has emptied of all other fish. Some are even becoming cannibals.

Ducks and even swans on the Isen River in Upper Bavaria have to fear for their lives, Die Welt newspaper reported on Saturday, because they are being targeted by the giant fish.

Fishermen have been alarmed by the increasing number – and size – of the catfish, which have no natural predators and grow their entire lives, the paper reported.

“The fish are not actually known to eat members of their own species, but by now they are also doing this,” Manfred Holzner, head of the local fisherman’s association told the newspaper tz.

Controlling their population is difficult - the fish themselves are notoriously tricky to catch, and nets are generally outlawed in the affected waters, Die Welt said.

The Local/mbw

What do you think? Leave your comment below.


Your comments about this article:

15:40 September 8, 2012 by Dan Quixote
So you talked to a local fisherman and discovered that his preferred river is full of giant fish. Seems very unusual.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wels_catfish
16:58 September 8, 2012 by Zlik
Almost as large as her genetically modified ....HTF?

Flash... "Longtime mojo fish seen on a decline" studies show.
17:10 September 8, 2012 by mos101392
The catfish can get even bigger, see below link.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/06/photogalleries/giantcatfish/
18:16 September 8, 2012 by ovalle3.14
Catfish: the bitches of the water.
18:44 September 8, 2012 by EinWolf
What? Y'all don't eat catfish there?
22:44 September 8, 2012 by Omufu
I've heard rumours and urban legends about catfish eating small dogs and biting people. Thought it was probably bull... but if they can eat a swan then a pug wouldn't be a problem. 2.5m? Nasty. Ugly suckers too.
15:46 September 9, 2012 by zeddriver
Maybe Germany should throw away a few meters of the several meters high fishing/hunting regulations and cull the catfish population to a manageable level. It's not rocket science.
21:47 September 9, 2012 by wxman
Impressive, #3, but that is nothing. Divers who routinely go down to the bases of dams in Alabama and Texas to check for structural integrity, have reported cats the size of small automobiles.
19:35 September 14, 2012 by tadchem
The Kali River Goonch catfish is a proven man-eater. Locals customarily dumped the half-incinerated remains of their dead into the river. This gave the fish an appetite for human flesh.

Most fish (and reptiles) will try to eat anything they think they can swallow.
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