Fishing is generally regarded as an outdoor activity, but a Moscow shopping center wants to change that by building the world’s first indoor fishing pond. Measuring 10 x 3 meters, this artificial body of water will be filled with various species of fish, including carp, crucian carp, tench, bream, perch, catfish, and rudd, which up to 16 fishermen will try to catch.
Fishing rods and bait will be provided on site, and the underwater action will also be visible on a large screen, thanks to cameras installed in the pond. It’s not yet clear if this is designed as a veritable attraction for diehard fishermen, or just as a form of entertainment for men as they wait for their better halves to finish shopping.
According to the project’s creators, the world’s first indoor fishing pond will be a “nature island” inside the shopping center. Fishing will take place to the sounds of birdsong and frog croaking, to create a relaxing, peaceful atmosphere.
It’s unclear when the indoor pond will open, or how much it will cost to fish there, but sources speculate that it might even be free, because no one is allowed to haul any of the fish they catch. They have to throw them back into the pond, but they will be awarded points that they can spend on various goods in the shopping center.
The seemingly humane approach hasn’t really impressed activists, and for good reason. Hooking fish from morning until evening, every day, seven days a week, sounds more like torture for the fish.
