The Italian authorities are going on the offensive against the giant catfish of Lake Garda. To try to stop the proliferation of these predatory fish, the Veneto region has released 100,000 euros, reports the Italian media “I Dolomiti”.
Registered fishing companies will be able to get up to 20,000 euros to buy nets and other equipment to capture these invasive fish. The goal is to reduce a growing population that threatens native species. The Italian media have also nicknamed them the “monsters of Lake Garda”.
Native to Asia, catfish reproduce quickly and have virtually no natural predators in the lake. The largest specimens attack sardines, bass and whitefish, but also ducks and cormorants. According to diver Marco Brognoli, they could even attack small dogs. “At this size, they eat everything,” he summarizes.
The fish caught can be marketed for consumption, a way of restoring ecological balance while creating new economic opportunities. Catfish are generally harmless to humans, although rare attacks may occur during the spawning period.
A 3 meter long specimen
“The most recent case, and undoubtedly the most emblematic, occurred last Saturday. We came across, thanks to the sonar on our boat and then during a dive, a real monster of around three meters long,” testifies Italian diver Marco Brognoli, who has regularly observed the bottom of Lake Garda since 1986. “Today, we are constantly discovering enormous specimens, at least two meters long. Just a few years ago, it was unthinkable,” he told “I Dolomiti”.
The phenomenon is not limited to Italy. Catfish have been present for several decades in Lakes Neuchâtel and Morat, and their presence is also increasing in Lake Geneva, particularly due to warming waters.
