IPOH: The Perak State Fisheries Department (DOF) takes seriously the threat of alien fish that disturb the habitat of native fish species in public waters such as rivers and lakes in the state.
Its director, Mohd Ghazali A. Manap, said efforts to restrict and reduce the presence of such fish, especially Asian red-tailed catfish or baung and Amazon sailfin catfish or bandaraya fish, were always a priority for the department.
He said the population of Asian red-tailed catfish is multiplying very fast and is becoming a predatory fish that disrupts the entire food chain, even competing for space and food with native fish species.
"The Asian red-tailed catfish or its scientific name Hemibagrus Wyckioides has been detected entering public waters since March 2021 and according to records last year, as many as 12.29 tonnes were successfully landed by inland fishermen.
"As of last month, more than 2.01 tonnes such fish species have been successfully recorded, and the inventory also found that the Asian red-tailed catfish had reached the waters of Sungai Perak in Central Perak and nearby areas," he said.
On March 29, 2021, it is estimated that more than 250 cages of a fish farming company in Teluk Intan broke due to the strong current of the Perak River, thus causing hundreds of thousands of fish of various types such as red tilapia, patin, baung and jelawat putih as well as 30 metric tonnes of Asian red-tailed catfish escaping into public waters.
Mohd Ghazali said that so far there are no more Asian red-tailed catfish breeders recorded by the department in the districts, either illegally or who have applied for permission to breed the fish.
"We continuously encourage inland fishermen to catch and sell if they find the fish caught in their nets and rods, including organising fishing programmes to catch the fish in question and not even release them back into the waters if they are caught.
"The department also issues reminders through the main media channels to create public awareness on the importance of being the eyes and ears of the authorities to immediately report any activity suspected of throwing non-native fish into the waters of Perak's rivers," he said.
According to Mohd Ghazali, his department also takes seriously the flooding of alien fish which now dominates the rivers in the state but so far it is still under control and has not damaged the local river ecosystem.
"Nevertheless, precautionary measures and close monitoring are implemented through an inventory programme for the fish in question to be completely removed from the state's waters.
"The habit of these fish that build nests by digging the banks of the river will encourage the occurrence of erosion and increase the level of silt in the river water," he said.
He said DOF also called on the public to jointly take care of the state's river waters and it was a priority of his department for the public to be involved in removing and destroying this species of fish from public waters. — BERNAMA