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70 kilos of catfish makes life difficult for the landlady - fishermen fail!
A 70 kg catfish causes excitement in the restaurant pond in Bern. Fishermen fail the challenge of catching him.
70 kilos of catfish makes life difficult for the landlady - fishermen fail!
In the canton of Bern, more precisely in the Florida restaurant in Studen, a huge catfish caused quite a stir. With an impressive weight of 70 kilograms, it drives operator Stefanie Schwab to despair. The voracious fish not only eats the local ducks, but has also escaped every attempt to catch them. This catfish is the result of a small gift that Schwab's father received over 30 years ago: two small catfish.
The situation has now deteriorated considerably. The restaurant's pond, which is run by the third generation of the Schwab family, was actually intended to provide a natural environment for breeding ducks. But the small duck family quickly became prey for a voracious catfish. Schwab reports that she and several fishermen try to catch him every day, but without success. A call on social media has also attracted numerous hobby anglers to the region who are hoping to finally land the catfish using various baits such as liver and even a dead duck. The incentive for the anglers is not only the drinks and food that Schwab provides, but also the fame that comes with the catch - the catfish they catch can be kept.
A look at the catfish population
The problems in Bern are not isolated. In recent years, the catfish population in Central Europe, especially in Switzerland, has grown significantly. As schweizerbauer.ch explains, more than 7,600 catfish were included in Switzerland's fishing statistics in 2023. Twenty years ago there were less than 500. This increase is often linked to warmer water temperatures caused by climate change. In Germany there have even been reports of aggressive catfish attacking bathers, drawing attention to these species.
With a remarkable expansion, the European catfish (Silurus glanis) has established itself as the largest freshwater fish in Europe. Because of rising temperatures, the species grows and thrives particularly well in warmer waters. Fischapp.com makes it clear that these fish are opportunistic hunters that can endanger the populations of other fish species, which could put a strain on the overall biodiversity in the waters.
The increase in the catfish population therefore challenges not only anglers, but also fishermen, who are increasingly faced with the question of how to deal with these dominant predatory fish. The situation surrounding the Florida restaurant in Studen clearly illustrates how such challenges can be just around the corner. It remains to be seen whether the voracious catfish will one day be caught or whether it will continue to outwit the Schwab operator and the anglers.