Selangor state gov’t offers lucrative bounty of RM1/kg to rid invasive ‘bandaraya’ fish

 

THE Selangor state government is offering a price tag of RM1 for every one kg of the predatory suckermouth catfish (Hypostomus Plecostomus) a.k.a. ikan bandaraya netted in its waterways as part of its all-out quest to combat the dominant and invasive fish species.

In a video clip, state infrastructure and agriculture committee chairman Izham Hashim said a drop-off point under the initiative of the Menteri Besar Selangor Incorporated is near completion to serve as a collection hub for ikan bandaraya caught.

“RM1/kg maybe a small amount but bear in mind that for every single cast of the net, you can easily make RM30-RM50 (due to the fish size and weight),”shared the Pandan Indah state assemblyman.

Earlier, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari has announced that from Sept 1 to Oct 1, ikan bandaraya caught in Selangor’s waterways can be brought to a designated location in exchange for the reward.

“It is threatening the existing ecosystem and affecting our native fish species,” he said during the state-level World Water Day celebration in Pandan Perdana on Saturday (Aug 10).

In June, more than 700kg of suckermouth catfish were caught in less than three hours in Sungai Langat during the second series of the Sungai Langat fish conservation programme in Bangi.

The conservation programme focuses on hunting for foreign fish alongside the community to curb the flooding of invasive foreign fish populations that have affected native fish species in the country’s aquatic ecosystems.

In the same programme, 10,000 ikan lampam (tinfoil barb) fish fry were released into Sungai Langat.

“These foreign fish species occupy the top of the food chain and are the types that are dominant and invasive,” Izham has explained previously.

“The average weight for each fish is 600g and this size is of great concern when found in our rivers. Even its rapid breeding rate is concerning as it poses a significant risk of surpassing the population of our native fishes.”

The ikan bandaraya, according to Izham, originated from aquariums where they are used for algae cleaning purposes but once they grow larger, fish owners release them into the nearest waterways.

“If thousands are kept and thousands are released, they can disrupt our ecosystem,” added the Amanah Selangor chairman.

Apart from ikan bandaraya, ikan baung ekor merah (Asian redtail catfish) and peacock bass have also been identified by the Fisheries Department as being among the “invasive” fish species in Malaysia. – Focus Malaysia