Jakarta Governor Forms Special Unit To Eradicate Suckermouth Catfish

Jakarta, MINA – Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung Wibowo plans to form a special individual service provider (PJLP) unit specifically tasked with catching and controlling the suckermouth catfish (ikan sapu-sapu) in the capital’s waters.

This step comes following the dominance of the suckermouth catfish, which has been deemed to disrupt the ecosystem of rivers and waterways in Jakarta.

“We will concentrate on this, and for that, there will be a special assignment of PJLP personnel to handle this suckermouth catfish,” said Pramono in North Jakarta on Friday, as quoted by Republika.

Pramono stated that handling the suckermouth catfish cannot be done only ceremonially. He wants the handling of these fish to be carried out sustainably by involving special personnel on the ground.

He assessed that the increasingly massive presence of the suckermouth catfish needs to be addressed seriously because it is invasive and damages the ecosystem.

In addition to preying on other fish eggs, the suckermouth catfish is also considered capable of damaging embankments or retaining walls along riverbanks because these fish often create holes as their nests.

Furthermore, Pramono also revealed the presence of hazardous residues in the bodies of suckermouth catfish. Based on a report from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), the residue levels in these fish are already above 0.3 on average, which is considered a health risk if consumed.

“If consumed, it is certainly dangerous. Additionally, this fish also damages the environment by making nests by eroding river walls,” said Pramono.

Previously, the Jakarta Provincial Government had conducted a simultaneous suckermouth catfish capture operation across five administrative cities: North Jakarta, South Jakarta, East Jakarta, West Jakarta, and Central Jakarta. Pramono directly went down and monitored officers from the blue units of the Water Resources Agency (SDA) and the orange units of the Public Facility and Infrastructure Handling (PPSU) who moved quickly to catch the suckermouth catfish.

Carrying out Pramono’s instructions, the East Jakarta City Government captured 763 kilograms of suckermouth catfish in a simultaneous operation held in 10 sub-districts.

“As of today, the simultaneous suckermouth catfish capture operation in 10 sub-districts, at 08:45 WIB, the recap from 10 locations amounted to 763 kilograms or 7.63 quintals,” said East Jakarta Mayor Munjirin during the simultaneous suckermouth catfish capture operation at the Ciliwung Eco Eduwisata Pier in Cililitan, Kramat Jati, East Jakarta, on Friday.

This figure is a temporary recap from Thursday afternoon to Friday at 08:45 WIB, reflecting the massive population of this invasive fish in East Jakarta’s waters.

Of the total, one of the largest contributions came from the Ciliwung Eco Eduwisata Pier area in Cililitan, Kramat Jati District. At that location, officers lifted approximately 200 kg of suckermouth catfish since the activity began on Thursday afternoon.

“At this location, approximately 200 kilograms. Meanwhile, from the other nine locations, we are still waiting for complete reports to be recapped overall,” said Munjirin.

The operation involved at least 150 joint personnel at one point, consisting of firefighters, the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), sub-district offices, and district offices. In addition, community participation also accelerated the capture process in the field.

The large number of catches in a short time indicates that the population of suckermouth catfish in East Jakarta is very high and needs to be seriously controlled. This fish is known as an invasive species that can disrupt the balance of the river ecosystem.[]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)