Ukrainian Refugee Arrested for Killing Polish Catfish 0 16

A major scandal has erupted in Warsaw over two Ukrainians who illegally caught a large catfish from a lake, which turned out to be a local legend. This was reported by Rzeczpospolita.

Local councilman Marek Borkowski told reporters that on May 31, two men caught a European catfish measuring about 173 cm from the Balaton water body in the Warsaw district of Goślaw. The councilman emphasized that the event occurred during a period when there was a ban on catfish fishing.

The case materials highlight that the behavior of the individuals who caught the fish could have harmed the animal. In particular, after being pulled from the water, the catfish was placed on a concrete surface and photographed for a long time before being placed in the trunk of a car. The statement that the councilman sent to the police notes possible animal cruelty.

In a comment to Polish media, Borkowski mentioned that he received numerous complaints from outraged residents and local fishermen who take care of the water body and regularly stock it with fish. He also added that some witnesses recorded the incident on video, which is circulating online, and some materials have already been submitted as evidence.

According to eyewitnesses, the fish resisted for a long time, and the process of catching it was quite aggressive, involving several people and the use of watercraft.

However, the greatest outrage among Poles was caused by the fact that the victim of the illegal catch was not just an ordinary catfish, but a fish weighing about 40 kg that had lived in the water body for about 20 years and had become a local legend during that time.

According to local police, a 57-year-old citizen of Ukraine was arrested on suspicion of poaching. Nothing has been reported about the second participant in the incident.