The Department of Fisheries Malaysia (DOF) in collaboration with Aquaria KLCC organized a foreign fish hunting programme in Sungai Kuyoh, Bukit Jalil with the involvement of 200 participants comprising government and private agencies, urban fish hunting community clubs, local residents as well as public institutes of higher learning (IPTA).
The foreign fish hunting program was held as one of the efforts of DOF and the community to jointly prevent the population of invasive foreign fish species from continuing to flood the general waters and thus affecting the native fish species in the ecosystem of the country’s waters.
“To be precise, the presence of foreign species such as urban fish or pleco in the country’s public waters is a concern of various parties. DOF is actively enhancing public awareness programmes for target groups to clarify the long-term impact if foreign fish are released arbitrarily into public waters.
DOF is pleased with the cooperation received from Aquaria KLCC, City Fish Hunter Community, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) and Malaysia Stadium Corporation, Bukit Jalil in a joint effort to reduce foreign fish species in Sungai Kuyoh,” Director General of the Department of Fisheries Malaysia, Dato’ Adnan bin Hussain.
Aquaria KLCC as a strategic partner for this program also helps the department provide exposure and education on the dangers of foreign fish in the ecosystem and educate effective solutions to address this problem through the Alien Invaders campaign, an exhibition of several foreign fish species at Aquaria KLCC which started from April to June 2024.
Executive Director of Aquawalk Sdn. Bhd., Daryl Foong said it takes the invasive alien species that have inhabited the country’s waters seriously. Joint efforts of the corporate sector through detection, monitoring and awareness programmes are needed to ensure that the objective of protecting the ecosystem of the waters is achieved.
