Wels attacks on Lake Brombach: Bathers in danger - police reacts!

Wels attacks on Lake Brombach: Bathers in danger - police reacts!

Brombachsee, Mittelfranken, Deutschland - Am Brombachsee in Middle Franconia have become known in the past few weeks of several incidents with aggressive catfish. The attacks on bathers, which lead to both injuries and an intensive discussion about security measures, are particularly worrying. On June 20, five bathers were bitten on a bathing platform, which led to an immediate police reaction. The responsible police officer had to shoot an aggressive catfish to protect the swimmers. An incident also occurred on Wednesday, in which a 69-year-old was slightly injured and a grazing wound on his arm pulled up when he swam near a bathing platform. The situation made quick action necessary.

In order to ensure the safety of the bathers, the district office has decided to check the lake for possible spawning spaces of Welsen. This measure includes the echolot examination of the bathing spots and bathrooms. If spawning spaces are discovered, corresponding areas could be closed preventively in order to avoid attacks through the fish. Experts explain that the catfish react more aggressive during the spawning season, especially when the water is low, as they remove their eggs under bathing platforms and vehemently defend them.

from the police and fishing association supported

The cooperation between the district office, the Zweckverband Brombachsee and the Ansbach water management office is considered crucial in this situation. In addition, the fishing association has taken over the echo solo storage to identify potential sources of danger in good time. The fishing expert Christian Forster sees the problem in the fact that large catfish, like the European catfish - which can be up to three meters long and 150 kilograms - can hardly be catched. "In such situations, it is important to protect the bathers quickly," said Forster and thus defended the firearm use of the police.

criticism came from the German Animal Welfare Association, which described the killing of the animal as "completely disproportionate" and instead recommended that the bank be blocked. A police spokesman said that catfish is usually not aggressive and suspected that the animal shot defended his nest. The view of Felix Rebs, a representative of the state fishing association, also supports this theory: attacks on people are extremely rare and usually only arise when catfish feel threatened.

safety concerns in the bathing lake

The demanding weather and the declines of the water level make the situation for the catfish also challenging. The risk of accidents for bathers could therefore decrease in the coming weeks due to the approaching end of the spawning period. Nevertheless, the warning of water rescues remains in lakes, which will continue to be expressed. These incidents on the Brombachsee underline the importance of water quality; According to the European Environment Agency, over 90 percent of German bathing waters have good water quality.

In order to keep an eye on the security of the water, a meeting between the water management office and the fishing association will take place to advise on the incidents and to discuss future measures. Those responsible advise the bathers to inform themselves about the current conditions before they jump into the water.

The incident remains a drastic experience for the bathing guests concerned, while the authorities try to restore the bathing pleasure at the Brombachsee and at the same time ensure the safety of visitors. You can find more information about the situation on the lake in the reports of ZEIT ONLINE , zdf and br>.