Jakarta Provincial Government Seeks Involvement of Buffer Regions to Capture Plecostomus Fish

The Jakarta Provincial Government plans to continue operations to capture plecostomus fish, and these operations will also involve local governments around Jakarta.

The Head of the Food Security, Maritime, and Agriculture Agency (KPKP) of Jakarta Province, Hasudungan A Sidabalok, stated that the plecostomus fish operation is proposed to be expanded to upstream river areas crossing the capital. Therefore, the Jakarta Provincial Government wants to collaborate with Jakarta’s buffer regions in carrying out the operation.

“Yes (we are proposing to involve surrounding local governments for plecostomus fish capture operations),” he said when confirmed by Republika on Wednesday (22/4/2026).

According to him, his side is currently coordinating with the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) regarding the revision of Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Regulation Number 19 of 2020 on controlling invasive fish. He stated that the revision is being carried out so that the regulation can be more applicable in the field.

“If it’s the central government, the scope is broader and can reach all of Indonesia,” he said.

Regarding the utilisation of captured plecostomus fish, Hasudungan admitted he could not yet determine it. According to him, the current handling is by killing and burying the plecostomus fish. “For now, they are buried,” he said.

Previously, the Jakarta Provincial Government conducted a massive plecostomus fish capture operation in five areas of Jakarta on Friday (17/4/2026). In that operation, the catch obtained reached 68,880 fish or 6.98 tons.

An expert in fish and fish conservation from the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences at IPB University, Charles PH Simanjuntak, appreciated the plecostomus fish capture operation carried out by the Jakarta Provincial Government. However, the operation must be assessed as needing to be expanded not only in the Jakarta area but also carried out from the upstream river. This is because his side found plecostomus fish already dominating the Ciliwung River starting from upstream in the Bogor area.

“So this physical extermination activity must be holistic along the Ciliwung River Basin (DAS). Because if it’s the rainy season, the young plecostomus fish will enter the downstream Ciliwung River from Bogor again,” he told Republika on Tuesday (21/4/2026).