Aree Protette Alpi Cozie

On December 9 and 16, 2024, the first capture activities aimed at the catfish specimens took place in the Natural Park of the Avigliana Lakes. The session is part of the actions promoted by the Life Predator project aimed at containing an alien and invasive species such as Silurus glanis in the freshwater basins of Southern Europe.
The operations were carried out using the electro-fishing technique and allowed for the catch of 48 catfish from the waters of Lake Grande. The largest individual weighed 20 kg, but most of the recovered fish were small, ranging between 3 and 5 kg. With this activity, the project reaches its fully operational phase after two years of study and monitoring aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of the general characteristics of the fish population present in the Avigliana Lakes and of Silurus glanis in particular. The catfish is indeed an aquatic predator that poses a threat to ecological balances in both basins where it is not native. After this first session, further actions to contain the species will continue throughout 2025.
Each phase of the project is conducted under the scientific supervision of the Water Research Institute of the National Research Council (IRSA-CNR), partner of Life Predator along with the Protected Areas of the Cozie Alps and the Metropolitan City of Turin for the Italian part.

Life Predator: the first capture session has been completed

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