A woman in China's Jiangsu is facing a public interest lawsuit after she dumped 12.5 tonnes (12,500 kg) of exotic catfish in a lake in hopes that it would bring her good luck. According to South China Morning Post, the woman, surnamed Xu, spent 90,400 yuan (Rs 10,84,800) buying the fish and released them into a major lake in the city for a Buddhist ritual to bring herself good luck.
However, the fish died soon after entering the water, irking local government workers. It took 10 days for local workers to remove them.
As per the SCMP report, the incident happened in December 2021, when the woman bought 12.5 tonnes of Clarias, a genus of catfish, from a fish retailer. She threw them in a lake, hoping to improve the luck of her family and friends. Prosecutors, who are presenting the case in Changzhou city, said that Ms Xu chose the fast-growing, exotic fish species because of the cheaper price. However, it still cost her 90,400 yuan.
Both the woman and the fish retailer were sued in September last year and ordered to pay more than 90,000 yuan in compensation and an unspecified amount in fines.
However, they claimed that they were innocent, saying that they ''intended to do something good''.
The practice of releasing animals into the wild, known as 'fangsheng', has a history dating back 2,000 years in China. The ritual which seeks to create good karma, however, often leads to animal cruelty and poses environmental risks. Intended to save captive animals in exchange for good luck, the practice also encourages the trapping of wild animals to meet demand.
Several such cases have been reported from the country in recent past. In September 2022, a man and a 'fangsheng' devotee from Guangxi province in southern China released 10 suckermouth catfish, 10 turtles, and more than 10kg of pond loaches into a reservoir. He was fined 28,000 yuan (Rs 3,35,939) for the bizarre act.
