Some videos:
After removing most of the water from the pond, part to fill the two pickup-trucks, rest was released into the drain, the crew went in with a long net, open at the end, but held closed temporarily.
It's really hard work, especially with all the algae and the danger of getting a kick from the arapaima's tail.
Catching Ms. T
Once Ms. T gets into the net, a strong cloth is wrapped around her again with the end at the head held closed, this time to cover his eyes to ensure he stays calm.
After that, the net is slowly pulled back over his tail, and the fish stays inside the cloth.
Removing the net
After catching the arapaima in a long net, a strong cloth is wrapped around it and the net is then removed. With the arapaima inside the cloth and his eyes covered, he becomes very calm. Our arapaima is about 2 meters long, estimated weight of 100-125 kg, so there's some serious muscle required to lift the fish. Once put into the truck, you see Khun Bird jumping inside and the cover net closed. This is an extremely dangerous part of the operation, as an arapaima could easily break your ribs with a swipe of his tail. He's inside the truck to ensure that the arapaima is breathing and has no other problems. After about 15 minutes, he came out of the water and the crew then started catching the other fish.
Lifting Mr. T out of his pond
Enjoy...
Luc
