I meet Robert Arlinghaus at Müggelsee in Berlin. This is where he works at the Leibniz Institute for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries. Prof. Dr. Arlinghaus is Germany’s most famous fishing researcher – and an avid recreational fisherman himself. He is an expert in fisheries ecology and fisheries management. He leads projects in the field of fishing and nature conservation.
Arlinghaus has commented on the pain perception of fish and thus attracted criticism from animal rights activists. Last year, the 45-year-old was awarded the German Research Foundation’s Communication Prize.
Fish fish and research them: Prof. Robert Arlinghaus from BerlinPhoto: David Ausserhofer
For the interview on the banks of the Müggelsee, I took a small spinning rod with a jig spinner. Arlinghaus comes without a fishing rod – he doesn’t want to fish at his workplace today, but instead wants to concentrate on the interview. That’s a good thing – because I want to know from the experts exactly where I can catch a pike the fastest next time. And as it turns out, he also has exciting insights into the cunning of fish: Under certain circumstances, they no longer fall for bait …
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