He served over 3 years in prison for catching a fish weighing half an ounce.

The small fish that the man caught is on the list of rare animals that need to be protected.

Li Licai and his friend Tang Yongxiang were arrested by Chinese police earlier this year while fishing with electric shock devices on the Yangtze River in Luzhou City, Sichuan Province, according to SCMP.

Among the 7 kg of fish that Li and Tang caught was a 50-gram Yangtze River Tigerfish, a rare and protected species in China. On November 17, a local court concluded that Li had hunted and killed the endangered wild animal.

This is one of the 7 kg of fish that Li and Tang caught. Photo: SCMP

Because Li had a previous conviction and was still on probation, the court decided to sentence him to three years and two months in prison. Tang also received a seven-month prison sentence for a similar crime. In addition, each was fined 2,000 yuan (approximately 6.8 million VND).

According to Chinese law, killing rare or endangered animals can result in a 10-year prison sentence.

The Yangtze River Tiger Shark, also known as the Chinese Shark, is listed as a protected species due to a significant decline in its population caused by pollution, overfishing, and the construction of hydroelectric dams. This shark-like fish is popular in the aquarium hobby.

The Yangtze River Tiger Shark, also known as the Chinese Shark.

Fishing using electric shock, which involves using two electrodes to generate an electric current underwater to shock and paralyze fish, is also illegal.

According to ngoisao.net