Accidental Deaths Due to Electrocution During Amateur Electro-Fishing

Abstract

Electro-fishing (passing electricity through water to catch fish) requires sophisticated equipment. While this method is commonly employed by scientists for survey and fisheries management, a crude and illegal form electro-fishing is employed in Kerala for catching fish from water bodies. This can result in accidental electrocution and even fatalities. Even though they are rare, forensic pathologists in Kerala do come across such deaths from time to time. 8 cases of accidental death which occurred during electro-fishing are discussed here.

Illegal fishing with electrofishing devices in the Po river basin, Emilia Romagna, Italy

“…In fact, the electric current affects all species of fish present in the area of application of the electric field, making electrofishing an unspecific way of catching aquatic animals. Moreover, electrical fishing could be dangerous for fishermen depending on electric current voltage, causing ventricular fibrillation, asystolia, till cardiac arrest and death, even more if the electrical device used is “homemade” and then unsafe 7 – 9 . As stated above, Authorities are not usually able to find poachers with the captured fish and the electro-devices simultaneously, as occurred in case 1 in this study and, for this reason, a better understanding of post-mortem evidences associated with this illegal type of fishing could support the investigation needed for legal actions.…”