No reason to panic: catfish in the swimming lake are largely harmless!

No reason to panic: catfish in the swimming lake are largely harmless!

Wels, Österreich - In the past few weeks there have been increasing discussions about the dangers of predatory fish in our domestic bathing lakes. The focus was particularly on catfish and pike. According to experts, such attacks on humans are extremely rare. mdr reports that the likelihood of being bitten by a catfish is even lower than a lottery profit.

predatory fish like the European catfish and the pike are usually peaceful and shy. During the spawning period, which lasts for catfish from May to July and pike from March to May, aggressive behavior can occur. This behavior is often associated with the defense of the creation, warn experts like Marco Schnabel from the Delphin Leipzig exchange school. They also emphasize that the catfish, which can become up to 3 meters long and over 200 kg, usually withdraws into deeper waters when people approach. Merkur indicates an incident at the Brombachsee, in which an exception is injured, which represents an exception.

How safe is the swimming?

The Saxon State Office for the Environment, Agriculture and Geology has so far not listed any registered WELS attacks on people in the Region. In addition, most predatory fish, including pike and zander, have the tendency to avoid people. These fish float away when you swim to them. wikipedia explains that predatory fish are mostly lurder hunters who disguise themselves to catch their prey. They feed on other fish as well as crabs and amphibians, with active hunting often taking place at night.

The reports on predatory fish in German waters are influenced in particular by climate change, which promotes the spread and activity of these species. Rising water temperatures help to ensure that catfish and other predatory fish come into contact with people more active and possibly more often. Nevertheless, the danger for swimmers and bathers remains very low.

other risky water dwellers

In addition to catfish, there are other fish that can be potentially uncomfortable. For example, the Petermännchen, which occurs on the coasts, can cause painful stings when touched. This often happens when wading without bathing shoes. The stitch can be significantly more painful than a wasp sting. However, such incidents are just as rare for most aquatic plant fans as attacks by predatory fish.

The waters of Austria offer largely safe bathing pleasure. With a little caution and respect for the residents, it is easy to enjoy the warm summer days in the water. And even if a catfish or pike swims past, it shouldn't worry. After all, the chance of an attack is almost zero!