Fishermen beg to tackle invasion of monstrous catfish conquering Europe
Warnings of environmental catastrophe as invasive species spreads through France and Spain
French fishermen pull out a catfish from the waters of the Dordogne
Credit: AFP
Nobody knows who slipped the first Wels catfish into the calm rivers of southern Spain.
Some say it was a fanatical German angler, others that locals illegally introduced the beasts over a decade ago in the hope of luring sports fishermen to the region.
What all agree on is that the result has been catastrophe.
Environmentalists and industry groups are now begging authorities to step in before the invasive species reaches the region's pristine ecosystem that sustains the fishing industry of Cadiz.