They find a Pacú fish in a lake in Ireland and scientists are on the alert

Irish authorities and scientists are intrigued after the discovery of a pacu fish, native to the Amazon, in a lake in the Irish countryside last weekend.

The approximately 2kg fish was found by businessman Steve Clinch, 68, a veteran fisherman and owner of a fishing lodge in the region.

Clinch explained that the fish was not caught by him, but was found lifeless on the shores of the lake. “It appears that it was placed alive and later died. I simply removed it and reported it to the local authorities, who took it for inspection, considering that it was a species not native to the region,” he said.

Lake Garadice is located in the interior of Ireland, 140 kilometers from the capital Dublin.

The lake is relatively small, about four square kilometers, but is known for its scenic beauty and recreational activities such as fishing and recreational boating. The most common freshwater fish in the region are small to medium sized, such as brown trout, pike, rocket and perch.

Inland Fisheries Ireland, the Irish institution responsible for the protection, management and conservation of fisheries and freshwater resources in Ireland, has launched an investigation. According to the Institute, the fish is refrigerated in a laboratory for analysis of the remains.

There are still no definitive details on the origin of the fish and how it arrived at Lake Garadice.but it is possible that it was released from a private aquarium”, specifies the institute’s press office.

The institute highlighted that only one dead specimen of pacu fish was found in the lake and not a population of the species.

In Ireland, the farming of non-native fish is governed by specific laws and regulations.

Although there is no absolute ban on the cultivation of non-native fish, The Irish authorities take measures to control the cultivation of species considered exotic in order to protect aquatic ecosystems and local biodiversity.

In a note sent, Ibama (Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) specified that, in an investigation conducted by the organization’s Foreign Trade Coordination, no export of native fish from Brazil was identified to Ireland in the last 12 months. .

But it went viral on social media. Many users joked that Pacú “went” to Ireland to study English, as Ireland is a very popular exchange destination.

Phrases like “Fish exchange” and “He came to learn English” appeared in the feeds.

Non-native fish may compete with native species for resources such as food, space and shelter.. This can lead to reductions in populations of native species and changes in food chains.