DKI Food Security Agency Ensures Strict Supervision of Janitor Fish Destruction: Directly Buried

Head of the DKI Jakarta Food Security, Maritime, and Agriculture Agency (KPKP), Hasudungan A Sidabalok, has assured that there is no misappropriation of the janitor fish captured in Jakarta. All catches are directly buried by officials. “There is no misuse because everything is immediately buried and supervised by the DKI KPKP regional team,” Hasudungan said when contacted on Sunday (19/4/2026). The DKI Jakarta KPKP has ensured that no captured janitor fish are unilaterally sold to traders. Hasudungan stated that the destruction process for the janitor fish has been carried out strictly. He explained that the janitor fish eradication operation in Jakarta is conducted in several phases. For the short-term phase, Hasudungan said, officials will carry out mass and simultaneous capture operations. This short-term phase was implemented in an operation held on Friday (17/4) across five areas of Jakarta. A total of nearly 7 tons of janitor fish were successfully captured. Meanwhile, in the medium-term phase, officials will routinely capture janitor fish. This activity will be accompanied by river cleaning operations in Jakarta. “(The) long-term phase will involve academics to find the right technology to control janitor fish,” Hasudungan stated. Nearly 7 Tons of Janitor Fish in Jakarta Destroyed The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government is known to continuously carry out efforts to control the janitor fish population. In one day, officials successfully captured 68,800 janitor fish, with a total weight of 6.9 tons, to be immediately destroyed. “Based on the collected data, the total number of janitor fish captured reaches 68,880 individuals with a weight of around 6.98 tons,” said the Head of the DKI Jakarta Food Security, Maritime, and Agriculture Agency (KPKP), Hasudungan A Sidabalok, when asked for confirmation on Friday (17/4). The 68,000 janitor fish were captured in five areas of DKI Jakarta. The highest numbers were in South Jakarta, East Jakarta, and Central Jakarta. This janitor fish capture operation is part of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government’s efforts to control the population of the fish known to damage aquatic ecosystems. In the future, similar activities will continue to be carried out periodically to maintain environmental balance in the Jakarta area. DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung stated that the janitor fish population in Jakarta’s waters has exceeded 60 percent. Pramono emphasised that janitor fish are dangerous if consumed due to the high residue content in their bodies.