KUALA LUMPUR: Alien species of fish comprise as much as 95% of the fish population of Ampang Hilir lake, posing a serious threat to the balance of the country's freshwater ecosystem, a senior agriculture official said.
Isham Ishak, secretary-general of the agriculture and food security ministry, said the ministry is reviewing efforts to tighten existing regulations, including the possibility of banning certain fish species identified as threatening the local ecosystem.
He called for greater efforts to curb the problem of foreign fish species being introduced into public waters, including community education to stop the practice of releasing unwanted pet fish into lakes, dams, and public irrigation areas.
"If we do not educate the public, this matter will become a culture that is difficult to curb and will become a long-term problem," he said as the introduced fish could harm aquatic biodiversity and threaten the survival of local fish species.
Data from the fisheries department show that of the 154 fish species recorded in Ampang Hilir lake, 146 were foreign species, while eight were local species.
Isham was speaking at an event to hunt foreign fish species at the lake. The event, which has been carried out since 2022, resulted in a total catch of 19.7 tonnes of alien species.
He said among the measures needed were to increase the catch of foreign fish, the release of more local fish fry to help balance the population, and to prevent the public from releasing pet fish into public waters.
He also said that the ministry is reviewing efforts to tighten existing regulations, including the possibility of banning certain fish species identified as threatening the local ecosystem.
At today's event, Agrobank released 1,400 local fish fry into the lake, consisting of 1,100 baung fish and 300 lampam sungai fish, to help support the conservation of local species.
Meanwhile, Agrobank chief development officer Ahmad Arif Abu Bakar said that efforts to restore the balance between local and foreign fish populations need to be supported by increasing public awareness and education on the importance of preserving the country's biodiversity.
"The public needs to understand their responsibility in maintaining the ecosystem, including not releasing pet fish into rivers or lakes when the fish grow larger," he said.
About 250 people took part in today's event to catch alien fish using seine nets, cast nets, fishing lines and fish traps.