A 57-year-old Ukrainian man was deported from Poland after illegally catching a 40-kilogram protected catfish from Lake Balaton in Warsaw’s Gocław district between late May and early June.
The Illegal Catch in Warsaw
In late May, two men took a pedal boat onto Lake Balaton in the Gocław district of Warsaw. One of the men caught a 180-centimeter, 40-kilogram catfish that had reportedly inhabited the lake for two decades and was under a protective period. The fish was subsequently found in the trunk of a car.
Deportation Proceedings
Police officers from Warsaw’s Seventh District detained the man on June 2. The Border Guard determined that his continued presence in Poland posed a threat to public order and issued a return decision with immediate effect.
Ban on Re-entry
On June 3, the 57-year-old was escorted to the Dorohusk border crossing and expelled from the country. He has been issued a five-year ban on re-entering Poland and other Schengen Area states.
Recent Incident at Morskie Oko
This deportation follows another recent case involving a Ukrainian influencer who drove a sports car to Morskie Oko, violating the Tatra National Park’s vehicle ban. The individual claimed the incident was caused by navigation errors and a raised gate, accepting responsibility for failing to notice traffic restrictions.
