Overview

• Christine Hein, a 59-year-old angler from Brandenburg, caught a 2.13-meter, 52-kilogram Wels catfish in the Oder River, the largest ever reported to the Landesanglerverband by a female angler.
• Her catch secured her the Anglerkönigin 2024 title, awarded annually by the Landesanglerverband for notable fishing achievements.
• The record-setting catch is seen as evidence of the Oder River’s ecological recovery after the devastating 2022 fish kill caused by golden alga and low water levels.
• Wels catfish, Europe’s largest freshwater fish, have been expanding in Brandenburg’s waterways in recent years, drawing attention from anglers and conservationists alike.
• An awards ceremony honoring Hein and other anglers is scheduled for this weekend in Blankenfelde/Mahlow, with Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke expected to attend.