HULU SELANGOR, Aug 22 — Inland fishermen are actively hunting Asian redtail catfish (ikan baung ekor merah), which can weigh up to 31kg each, to curb the threat the invasive species poses to the ecosystem and local fish population in Sungai Bernam.
The effort is being carried out through the MyKomuniti Perikanan Sungai Karang Redtail Catfish Mitigation Programme at Ibu Empangan Sungai Bernam, involving around 20 inland fishermen who are also members of MyKomuniti Perikanan Sungai Karang.
Selangor Fisheries deputy director Ahmad Redzuan Ramli said the discovery of the unusually large redtail catfish was worrying, as the species could potentially disrupt the river ecosystem and affect native fish populations.
Catches from the programme showed that the redtail catfish landed weighed around 9kg, while the largest recorded specimen reached 31kg.
“When we see it up close, it is indeed quite startling that a species of that size can be found in our river waters. It poses a threat to local species, including fish fry and native fish in our waters,” he said.
Redzuan added that redtail catfish can threaten local fish populations as their eggs, fry, and smaller fish are among its food sources.
As a result, it can impact the survival of native species found in Sungai Bernam if the population is not controlled.
The Redtail Catfish Mitigation Programme, carried out together with MyKomuniti Perikanan Sungai Karang, is the second of its kind at the location and will continue in stages with the involvement of inland fishermen and the fishing community.
“This mitigation programme is being carried out here for the second time, and the effort will continue from time to time to control the threat to local fish species such as yellow catfish (baung kuning), redtail rasbora (lampan ekor merah), featherback (belida), tengalan, selais, jungle perch (sebarau), and mahseer (kelah),” he said.
As part of the same programme, the Fisheries Department also undertook efforts to conserve public waters by releasing 20,000 yellow catfish fry into Sungai Bernam to increase the population of native species.
The measure aims not only to control the redtail catfish population, but also to strengthen river biodiversity conservation efforts and ensure native fish species continue to reproduce for the sustainability of the ecosystem and the livelihoods of the inland fishing community.
