Catching of Suckermouth Catfish Intensified in Bogor Regency

On Wednesday (20 May), suckermouth catfish were removed from Situ Citatah in Kampung Ciri Mekar, Cibinong, Bogor Regency. All senior Bogor Regency officials joined the field operation. Bogor Regent Rudy Susmanto, together with the Vice Regent, the Forkopimda, Muspika, and local residents, directly participated in the effort to remove the invasive fish and to clean the river flow.

More than 220 kilograms of suckermouth catfish were captured in just over an hour. At the same time, 30 litres of eco enzyme were released to accelerate the breakdown of pollutants in the river. The activity involved the Eco Enzyme Nusantara Bogor community.

In addition, 5,000 local fish fry were released into the river, prepared by the Bogor Regency Department of Fisheries and Livestock to maintain the ecosystem’s balance. Rudy Susmanto said the activity was not merely about removing invasive fish but a stimulus and encouragement for the community to protect the river and its surroundings.

“We went down to catch suckermouth catfish in Kali Cidarian together with Muspika, the Deputy Regent, and Forkopimda. Today’s effort won’t finish everything, but it should inspire people to help protect the river,” the Regent said in a press release.

He explained that on the ground, authorities also found high sedimentation and a large amount of waste accumulating in the river. This is a shared responsibility to clean and maintain the river sustainably. “We want to ensure the conditions are observed on the ground. The sedimentation is quite high, and there is a lot of waste. If we can tackle sedimentation, the potential for flooding will decrease,” he said.

Regarding the catch of suckermouth catfish, Rudy noted that the species is invasive and needs to be controlled as its population growth could damage the river’s bottom ecosystem. “The suckermouth catfish must be controlled. If it explodes, it can damage the river’s bottom ecosystem,” he asserted.

Rudy added that the activity forms part of the early activities for World Environment Day, with the main events scheduled for 5 June in upstream areas around Telaga Warna and Telaga Saat under the theme “Ngelokat Cai”. Plans for Environment Day include upstream activities in areas around Telaga Warna and Telaga Saat. “We will also release broodstock of local fish to propagate from upstream to downstream, while continuing tree-planting and river normalisation at several points,” he said.

Present at the event were the head of BBWS Ciliwung Cisadane and other related officials.