China declared war on fish biting people

Many people rushed to the edge of a river in southern China after Liuzhou city officials announced they would give great rewards to those who caught South American tiger fish.

The decision of Liuzhou City, Guangxi Province was announced after the South American tiger fish (also known as the tooth of the whale) attacked a man under Lieu Giang River on July 10. Victims were bitten when they were bathing dogs in the river. The man caught the fish that bitten him and saw two other children, China Daily reported.

The government banned people from bathing, fishing and carrying out other activities on the Liujiang River, and organized a large-scale campaign.

A tiger fish with teeth like a saw blade (Photo: nationalturk.com)

'I was horrified after learning that the carnivorous fish from South America appeared in Lieu Giang River. Surely I will never swim there anymore. I hope people will destroy them in the near future ' , Liu Junjie, a resident in Liuzhou city, said.

For every South American tiger fish caught or killed, people will be rewarded with 1,000 yuan (157 USD) - a large sum of money for local fishermen. So many people went to the Liujiang River along the fishing rod.

'Some of my friends went to the river to fish. The amount of money they can earn from South American tiger fishing is equivalent to their monthly income. That fascinating reward ' , Zhu Fejie, a resident in Liuzhou city, said.

Officials provide free bait - including pork and other meats - for those who want to fish tigers. The ban on nets in some sections of the river that passes through the city is also temporarily canceled to serve fishing efforts. But no South American tiger fish has been captured or killed in the past days.

China and many Asian countries prohibit the import of South American tiger fish because scientists warn they will expand in rivers and lakes due to voracious habits and rapid fertility. Last December, Philippine police arrested 5 people for selling tiger fish.

Tiger fish (Piranha), a large freshwater fish. An adult tiger fish is between 14 and 26cm in size. All subspecies of tiger fish have strong, high, thick but narrow bodies. Because of their large tail and flat body, they swim very fast and flexible. Thanks to the big nose, tiger fish sniffed very well in the underwater environment. Sensitive hearing helps them to hunt effectively in dark or muddy areas.