DKI Provincial Government Evaluates Handling of Sailfin Catfish

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government will evaluate the handling of sailfin catfish in the capital region to avoid violating animal welfare principles. “Perhaps yesterday many of the buried fish were not yet dead. For that reason, we may have been negligent; we will evaluate and improve it later,” said DKI Jakarta Deputy Governor Rano Karno in Jakarta on Tuesday. Rano stated that the simultaneous handling of sailfin catfish, as done some time ago, was the first of its kind. He also admitted to being surprised by the findings, which amounted to 6.98 tons. The follow-up to the capture results involved killing the fish and burying them hygienically at designated locations. This step was taken to prevent the fish from returning to the waters, being sold, and to allow them to be utilised as natural compost. Rano proposed to his subordinates to handle sailfin catfish in the manner used in Brazil, namely by processing them into charcoal. The DKI Provincial Government reminds the public not to use sailfin catfish as food ingredients due to the health risks posed by residues of heavy metals such as lead (Pb) exceeding the government-set threshold of above 0.3 mg/kg. Meanwhile, the Fatwa Commission of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has warned that the mass burial of live sailfin catfish violates animal welfare principles. MUI opines that the DKI Provincial Government’s policy in controlling sailfin catfish is a good thing because the animal can damage river ecosystems and threaten local fish.