Bekasi River Becomes "Haven" for Janitor Fish, Mass Capture Planned for June 2026

Bekasi - The Deputy Mayor of Bekasi, Abdul Harris Bobihoe, revealed that the Bekasi River is one of the areas with the highest population of janitor fish in Bekasi City. He made this statement while participating in a river tracing activity in Delta Pekayon, South Bekasi Subdistrict, on Tuesday (21/4/2026). “The Bekasi River is a haven for janitor fish. However, because the river’s depth is quite good, the fish do not surface,” Harris said when met in the Delta Pekayon area on Tuesday. Nevertheless, their numbers are starting to increase and are considered a potential threat to the river’s ecological balance. According to him, the presence of janitor fish not only impacts the environment but can also endanger human health. Harris also highlighted the existence of individuals suspected of using the fish as ingredients for processed foods. He urged the public not to consume janitor fish, including in processed forms. “This is very dangerous because it contains toxins if consumed. Moreover, there are concerns it is processed into foods like cilok, bakso, or siomay,” he said. Meanwhile, Puarman, Chairman of the Cileungsi Cikeas River Care Community (KP2C), stated that efforts to manage the janitor fish population will be carried out when the water flow decreases in June 2026. “When the water recedes in June, that will be the best opportunity to lift the janitor fish, capture and destroy them,” said Puarman. He explained that manual capture using nets is considered the most effective method to control the population of the fish in the river flow. For information, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government has conducted a large-scale janitor fish capture operation in five administrative city areas on Friday (17/4/2026). From that activity, the total catch reached more than one tonne of janitor fish.