Overview

• On June 20, a two-meter-long European wels attacked and injured five swimmers during the Burning Beach festival at Brombachsee and was shot three times by police as a safety risk.
• Anglers retrieved the wounded fish and local innkeepers at Gasthof Zum Goldenen Lamm filleted it into about 120 portions priced at €22.50 each, with half already sold and the rest frozen.
• PETA has announced plans to file a criminal complaint under §17 of the German Animal Welfare Act, asserting the killing lacked a reasonable cause, and prosecutors have not yet received formal charges.
• Fishery experts say the wels’s aggression was typical nest-defense behavior during spawning season and that non-lethal measures like area closures and warning signs could have mitigated risks.
• Online reactions range from memes comparing the wels to Harambe to criticisms that shooting the fish was disproportionate and disrespectful to wildlife.