The sunny and summery weather is deadly for the fish in the Udense fishing pond De Kleuter. The high water temperature ensures that a virus thrives among the fish, which is why 25 dead fish have already been found in recent weeks. The board of the local angling club has therefore decided to impose a fishing ban for the De Kleuter in order not to burden the animals even more.
It is also not recommended to swim in the fish pond. The virus is not dangerous to humans, but swimmers can transmit it to other fish if they swim in other waters.
“Every day there’s a dead fish floating in the water.”
Normally there are 350 fish swimming in De Kleuter in Uden. In four weeks, 25 dead animals have already been found in the pond. After research, it turned out that the fish had the so-called Koi herpes virus (KHV). A contagious virus that carp have to contend with. “It is exceptional to find 1 or 2 dead fish every day. We now have to take pause and give the fish a rest,” says board member Stefan Kanters of fishing club De Kleuter.
The water temperature is currently 22 degrees. In combination with the high outside temperature, these are not pleasant conditions. “When the water is warmer than twenty degrees, the virus can spread well. So it really has to come down,” says Kanters.
“18 kilos of fish food in the water every day to gain strength.”
To help the carp gain strength, 18 kilos of food are thrown into the water every day. “Normally there is a lot of fishing here and a lot of feed is consumed. As a result, the fish are not dependent on natural food. That is why additional feeding is now being done. The food is composed in such a way that the fish gain strength,” Kanters explains.
Kanters finds it very annoying that the members of the association can now not go to their usual fishing spot. “There are members from Uden who cannot go far away, but can fish here. Very unfortunate for them.”