Alex Trelinski
A GIANT catfish capable of eating a small dog has been caught in a reservoir in north-west Spain.
A 31-year-old fisherman, Aitor Garcia, netted the big catch at Salamanca’s Santa Teresa reservoir- a popular bathing area where catfish are unknown.
The fish was 74 centimetres long and as an invasive species, Aitor did not release it back into the water.
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The find has generated concern among bathers and fishermen, since the presence of catfish in the area poses a risk to local fauna.
Adult catfish can prey on pigeons or even eat a small animal like a dog.
There was a case at the Tietar River in Caceres in 2018 when a fox terrier was devoured by a catfish, according to the owner’s niece.
Aitor’s surprise catch this month heralds from a friend telling him two years ago that they’d seen a catfish in the reservoir two years ago.
He went out for a swim in the Santa Teresa reservoir with some friends and decided to take a small fishing rod to perhaps net a small fish.
His friends laughed at him, saying there was no fish in the bathing area.
But within 10 minutes of casting the rod, it started to bend and the reel spun.
The first thought was that it was a two kilo carp or barbel, until it was reeled in and to everybody’s surprise, it was a catfish.
“People in the area started taking photos with it as nobody had heard of catfish in the Santa Teresa reservoir,” said Aitor.
Catfish, native to Eastern Europe, have been appeared in several rivers and reservoirs in Spain, where they have proliferated due to a lack of natural predators.
Their presence can alter local ecosystems and like in the case of small dogs, pose a danger to other species.
