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Giant goldfish caught in France
Generic koi carp (C) Shutterstock.
'The Carrot' weighed in at a hefty 30kg.

A man from Worcestershire had a giant surprise when he caught an enormous goldfish while angling in Champagne, France, as reported by BBC News.

While the average household pet goldfish weighs eight ounces – or approximately 0.2 kgs – this massive fish weighed in at a whopping 30kg.

Known at Bluewater Lakes where he resides as 'The Carrot', the goldfish is a hybrid of a leather carp and a koi carp, and has been at Bluewater Lakes for 20 years, proving himself to be a rare and difficult catch.

Andy Hackett, the angler who caught Mr Carrot, told BBC News about the catch: "With normal fish, you struggle to see them if they're just under the surface, but The Carrot is obviously bright orange so you can't miss it.

"[But] it's a much sought-after fish, not many people have caught it, it's quite elusive.”

After being weighed, and having had some obligatory photos taken, The Carrot was returned back to the lake, to evade more anglers.

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.