A piranha caught in a reservoir in Gangwon Province / Yonhap



By Jung Min-ho

Four flesh-eating fish from South America were caught last week in a reservoir in Hoengseong, Gangwon Province, according to the Ministry of Environment, Sunday.

Public access to the reservoir has been prohibited since three piranhas and one red-bellied pacu were caught there from Friday to Saturday.

This is the first time piranha or red-bellied pacu, both carnivorous fish native to South America, have been found in Korea.

After blocking all drains from the reservoir, the ministry installed nets in case there are more of the fish.

"They are not small enough to escape the reservoir through drain holes. So if there are any more, I'm sure they are still there," a ministry official said. "Besides, their spawning-period is late summer, when water temperature reaches 23 degrees Celsius or higher."

After receiving a citizen's report that exotic fish were seen in the reservoir, the National Institute of Ecology, a research institute under the ministry, began a field investigation Friday and caught a 19-centimeter long piranha. The next day, investigators caught two more piranhas, both 15 centimeters long, and a 30-centimeter red-bellied pacu.

How the fish ended up in the reservoir is unclear. The ministry said the most likely case is that someone released them there.

If not caught, they will die during the winter because they can only survive a few days in cold water, a ministry official said.

Piranhas and red-bellied pucus have a reputation as ferocious predators that hunt their prey in schools. There have been reports of attacks on humans, too.