By Norrasyidah Arshad
HULU LANGAT, June 9 — A new law prohibiting the release of invasive or foreign fish species is set to be enforced this year as a measure to conserve rivers and native species.
State executive councillor for agriculture Izham Hashim said the legislation involves the disposal of fish including the suckermouth catfish (ikan bandaraya), the red-tailed bagrid catfish (ikan baung ekor merah), and the African sharptooth catfish (ikan keli afrika).
These fishes are categorised as predators and pose a threat to original habitation.
“Research by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) two years ago found that suckermouth catfish burrow into riverbanks to lay eggs. This causes erosions, and results in the banks collapsing and the rivers becoming shallow.
“The issue needs to be addressed immediately to protect the state's protein resources. The proposed enactment has been brought to the Selangor State Executive Council meeting and is in its final phase.
"It is currently being refined at the legal stage,” he said during the launch of the inland fish resource conservation programme at Denai Sungai Kebangsaan, near UKM today.
During the event, over 700kg of suckermouth catfishes were caught by 116 members of Komuniti Pemburu Ikan Bandaraya from 7am to 11am.
Izham added that the authorities are prepared to cooperate with the Fisheries Department, including providing a budget to those who catch foreign fish.
“We will provide incentives to any parties that successfully capture these fish. This step is to encourage residents to help us maintain the population of other fish species.
“The captured fish will be processed into feed for other fish. Therefore, we will also contribute machines for the processing work,” he said while releasing 10,000 tinfoil barb fish (ikan lampan) into Sungai Langat.
[caption id="attachment_359772" align="aligncenter" width="1025"]
State executive councillor for agriculture Izham Hashim (third from left) inspecting the freshly caught suckermouth catfishes during the inland fish resource conservation programme at Denai Sungai Kebangsaan, near Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in Hulu Langat, on June 9, 2024. — Picture by NUR ADIBAH AHMAD IZAM/SELANGORKINI[/caption]
