Huge catfish in Lake Garda: Do you endanger the ecosystem and tourists?
Huge catfish in Lake Garda: Do you endanger the ecosystem and tourists?
At Lake Garda in Italy, the spread of large catfish ensures concern among fishermen and environmentalists. These voracious robbers, which are also called "torpedos" due to their shape, represent a potential threat to the local ecosystem. Fischer warn that the catfish that can be up to 3 meters long and 200 kilograms could be a danger to ducks, cormorants and even for smaller animals. However, complaints from holidaymakers about problems with the fish are not documented, and it has not been proven that catfish actively hunt dogs, the reports. However, vacationers don't need to be afraid, because catfish are mainly nocturnal and do not hunt during the day.
The spread of the catfish is favored by climate change. The Lake Garda offers ideal conditions for the fish: mild water temperatures and plenty of prey. These factors promote their growth and reproduction, which leads to the displacement of local species and could disturb the ecological balance, reports Ruhr24.
ecological threat and local effects
The situation on Lake Garda is particularly critical in the area between Sirmione and Lazise on the southwestern bank, where the catfish are most frequently seen. According to reports from diver Marco Brognoli, encounters with over two meters long are not uncommon. During a dive, he and his friends caught 14 catfish within just 200 meters, which illustrates the growing Wels population and its influence on the reproductive cycles of other species, especially in perches. These efficient eaters not only devour fish, but also water birds and small mammals, which is a serious problem. The spawning spaces of other species are particularly at risk because catfish eat the spawning of the perch.
The situation has already led to almost empty lakes in other regions of Italy, such as Mantua, which affected both tourists and the economy. Tourism on Lake Garda could be significantly impaired by similar ecological damage, warn tourism associations and environmentalists, such as Vol . Experts call for a structured contamination strategy from regional politics.
fishermen demand measures
fishermen appeal to the authorities to save the Garda lake a similar fate as in other affected waters. A proposal to combat the problem is the establishment of collective and disposal points for catfish. Similar to wild boar regulation, fishermen could be rewarded for catching the catfish in order to create incentives to combat their distribution. A similar picture is shown in Germany; Here experts expect catfish that are at least 1.50 meters in size due to the temperature increase.
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| Ort | Gardasee, Italien |
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