Rare catfish caught in Kotka, Finland, thought extinct since 1960s

A rare species of fish, once thought to be extinct in Finland, has been caught near Kotka. On Friday, fisherman Antero Halonen netted a catfish weighing over two kilograms, an encounter first reported by Helsingin Sanomat. According to Teemu Tast, a fish biologist from Kotka, catfish have not been seen in Finland since the early 1960s and are considered extinct in the country. Tast confirmed that Halonen’s catch was indeed a catfish the following Saturday.

Catfish are among the largest freshwater fish in Europe, with some individuals reaching nearly two meters in length and weighing dozens of kilograms. Halonen, who has worked as a professional fisherman for decades, immediately recognized the fish as a catfish, although he briefly wondered if it might be a loach due to the warm waters. “It looked a bit like a loach, but you can’t mistake the whiskered fellow’s appearance,” Halonen recounted.

He managed to bring the catfish alive to shore, and over the weekend, it was transferred to the Maretarium aquarium in Kotka. “It seems to be a lively and spirited case,” Halonen described the fish.

Two years ago, Halonen made headlines when a walrus got caught in his net, attracting significant media attention. The walrus caused surprise in Hamina and Kotka before it tragically died on its way to the Korkeasaari Zoo. Earlier this summer, Halonen also caught an incredibly rare thin-lipped mullet, typically found in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.

With the recent catches of a walrus, thin-lipped mullet, and now a catfish, Halonen humorously wondered what he might catch next: “I’m not prepared for anything. This is just the life of a fisherman. You get whatever comes from the sea,” he laughed.