Wels attack on Lake Brombach: Police cause excitement and criticism!

Wels attack on Lake Brombach: Police cause excitement and criticism!

Brombachsee, Deutschland - A shocking incident caused excitement at the Brombachsee in the Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen district. An approximately two meter long catfish has been troubled by several bathers in the past few days. Five swimmers suffered injuries when the fish, who weighed around 90 kilograms, attacked them. This led to a drastic use of the police, which ultimately used drastic means to defuse the danger situation. The police shot on the catfish to prevent what she described as a potential panic and drowning risk. For this decision, she received violent criticism, not only from the public, but also from experts and animal welfare organizations.

The incident occurred on June 20, when the water guard alerted the police over 5 p.m. The aggressive catfish had left several meat wounds at bathers during its attack and thus gave the authorities cause for concern. Despite an attempted intervention by the police - who shot the fish three times - the catfish was not immediately killed. An angler later advanced and carried out the animal professionally. Two anglers finally raised the shot Wels with a boat out of the water after the situation was brought under control. After these measures, the bathing area and the nearby swimminsel were released again, but the critical voices for this procedure remained loud.

criticism of the police and animal welfare organizations

This is how Harro Hieronimus expressed from the Society for Ichhyology that in rare cases, catfish can become aggressive if they defend their spawn, but usually do not pose serious risk for people. This assessment is supported by animal welfare organizations such as PETA, which describes the police's approach as unnecessary and shocking. PETA announced that he would take legal action against the police and the anglers. You can see the behavior of the police as a violation of the Animal Welfare Act.

The police themselves justified their actions and argued that due to a parallel electrical festival, a complete monitoring of the water was not possible. The officials emphasized that alternative measures such as the resettlement of the fish or a permanent beach barrier were considered impractical. "The procedure was considered without an alternative to avoid possible panic and drowning risk," said a police spokesman. In addition, after the riots, the officials were confronted with threats that are now also being checked.

The debate about the appropriate procedure in the case of the catfish shows once again how sensitive the topic of “man and nature” is in our time. The events at Lake Brombach raise questions that go beyond the mere security of bathers. Many people are now calling for more mindfulness in dealing with our waters and a more intensive discussion about the protection of the habitats of the animal world.

For everyone involved, it is clear: This discussion is far from over.