Two fishermen caught a giant stingray, weighing approximately 150 kilos, in the waters of the San Javier River, province of Santa Fe.
It happened last weekend. Faced with such a specimen, it is worth questioning its role in the ecosystem and what could be the environmental consequences of removing it from its habitat.
They caught a giant stingray: where it happened and what it could mean
The capture took place in an area known as “Las Cuatro Bocas”, a confluence of creeks and deep channels. Specialists claim that the area is ideal for the presence of this type of animals.
River stingrays, belonging to the family Potamotrygonidae, can reach extraordinary sizes, but they are not always seen.
The captured giant stingray. (Photo: El Litoral).
The extraction of large stingrays, like many other forms of overfishing, causes serious environmental damage and impacts biodiversity, especially in marine ecosystems.
Various international associations and research, such as WWF or the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS), agree on this.
While the consequences point to those caused by overfishing or massive animal capture, their extraction can unbalance the marine trophic chain, which can have long-term consequences for ecosystem health.
Furthermore, the loss of stingray populations can lead to the extinction of some species and the loss of biodiversity in the oceans.
Alert about stingray captures: just a month after fishing in Coronda
Fishermen from Coronda caught a huge stingray in the waters of the Coronda River, in Santa Fe. The event drew attention due to the recent appearance of another similar specimen on March 7.
The stingray caught in Coronda.
The task was carried out by the fisherman Juan Benegas along with other river workers, who managed to extract the animal with a diameter of over one meter and a weight exceeding 100 kilos. The specimen was taken to the city’s coast, at the southern zone monitoring port.
Given the frequency with which large stingrays have been caught, biologists from Paraná will head to the area to conduct studies on their characteristics and biological conditions.
