CATCH FISH BY ELECTRICITY

Evening Star, Issue 19762, 12 January 1928, Page 10

CATCH FISH BY ELECTRICITY

NEW METHOD’S ADVANTAGES. A now method has been devised in the famous carp ponds of Halle for providing Vienna witu one of its famous delicacies — living fresh-water fish, which are kept in aquariums of shops and restaurants. These are caught and cooked after selection by the guest or customer. Tishing by electricity has been adopted as the most practical, most humane, and simplest method of keeping up the supply. Along the length of the pond or the lake a wire is sunk, which is connected with the local electrical supply, which, thanks to Austria’s abundant water power, carries electric light and industrial power to the tiniest village. Across the sunken wire is floated another wire at right angles, which lies on the surface of the water. An electric current of 400 volts is then sent through the two wires.

The results of the* first experiments have been excellent. Water conducts the current to all corners of the pond, and within a few minutes its entire content of fish is floating upside down, paralysed, on the surface. Men in insulated clothing collect the booty from boats with nets, and the current is turned off. Baby fish are restored to the pond; edible fish arc placed in 1 tanks for Vienna, and recover within a few minutes. “Tiger fish,” which prey on edible fish, but are themselves non-edible, are destroyed and sold for manure. The clean-up pond is restocked, and if large numbers of useless fish seem to breed there pike are introduced as " police fish ” —so the Austrians call them—to maintain order by means of their huge appetites. So successful have the electrical experiments proved that electrical fish motor vans are to he built which will contain the necessary “tackle” and tanks which will enable them to bring the fish straight from pond to market.