To divide
In Lake Greifen, Switzerland, two men caught a 2.2 meter long catfish and committed animal cruelty (symbolic image). © IMAGO/Zoonar.com/EP
Two amateur fishermen caught a 2.2 meter long catfish in Greifensee, Switzerland. To get the “perfect photo”, they subjected the animal to unnecessary torture.
Greifensee – Amateur fishermen repeatedly pull huge fish from the water. Lake Greifensee is just a few kilometers from the Swiss metropolis of Zurich. In this idyll, two amateur fishermen aged 30 and 34 caught a 2.2 meter long catfish and pulled it out of the water – albeit with unfair methods and torture for the fish. Judicial authorities intervened and imposed heavy fines on the two Zurich residents.
Amateur fishermen catch 2.2 meter long catfish and torture the animal – for photos
According to a report in the Swiss newspaper NZZ, the two men from Zurich were looking for a big prank in August last year. They deliberately headed towards a specific region of Lake Greifen, which apparently is home to particularly large fish. In fact, a huge animal bit, as recently happened to a German amateur fisherman. According to information provided by the duo to the specialized portal petri-heil.ch, it was a proud catfish that was 2.45 meters long and weighed 90 kilos.
However, an employee of the portal told IPPEN.MEDIA that “it was discovered that the catcher exaggerated the length”. According to Swiss media, the fish was estimated to be around 2.2 meters long. In any case, the two men apparently were not prepared for such a “monster”, according to the assessment of the judicial authorities.
But the fishermen didn’t want to release their fat prey either. As the responsible Public Prosecutor’s Office in See/Oberland determined, the two men subjected the animal to “unnecessary torture that lasted several hours”, tying the fish to the boat with a rope in its mouth and dragging it behind them. The officers decided this was contrary to animal welfare. The result was irritation of the nerve cells in the gills and with it pain, suffering or at least “excessive transport”.
The Greifensee in Switzerland. © IMAGO / Pond5 Images
When the two amateur fishermen brought the fish to shore, the torture for the animal was not over yet. To take the “perfect photo”, the two Zurich residents first separated the catfish from the rope, but after a short time they trapped it again in the same place in the fish’s mouth until they had all the photos in the box. According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, it was not necessary to attach the rope twice, the Swiss newspaper cites the reasons for the verdict.
Amateur fishermen receive four-figure fines and criminal records
Fishing now costs both men dearly because of their cruelty to animals. Both received a 30-day fine. Due to different financial circumstances, the daily rate of one of the amateur fishermen is 130 francs (about 135 euros), the other pays 30 francs (about 31 euros) per day, which approximately corresponds to a total fine of 4,050 euros or 930 euros. .
In addition, there are procedural costs of 800 francs each, as well as additional fees of 1,200 francs and 800 francs, respectively, as reported in the Swiss newspaper. The two men also received an entry on the Swiss criminal record. A case of animal cruelty also made headlines recently in Italy: a shepherd mistreated his flock of sheep in a northern region of the country.