Belarusian Fishermen Actively Fight American Catfish
The invasive American catfish has massively spread in water bodies. This fish appeared back in the 1970s and has since adapted well: it is omnivorous, reproduces quickly, and its sharp spines protect it from predators. There are especially many catfish in the Brest region, in the Mukhavets river.
Scientists have not yet found an effective way to curb the growth of the catfish population, so the main role in this has been given to fishermen. There are no restrictions on fishing for this species — it can be caught in any quantity and at any time. The catch is often so large that it is measured in buckets, and people even come from other regions to fish here.
At the same time, a spawning ban is now in effect for other fish:
- in Gomel and Brest regions — from March 20 to May 18;
- in Grodno, Minsk and Mogilev regions — from April 1 to May 30;
- in Vitebsk region — from April 10 to June 8.