Jakarta West City Government Collects 217 kg of Plecostomus from Bojong Indah Reservoir

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Jakarta West City Government (Pemkot Jakbar) successfully captured and collected 217 kilograms of plecostomus fish from the Bojong Indah Reservoir in Cengkareng and the Pesanggarahan River tributary in Kembangan on Friday.

Assistant for Economy and Development of Jakarta West City, Imron Sjahrir, stated that the capture of the invasive fish was carried out due to its destructive nature on reservoir walls or water channel linings.

“Plecostomus can, in principle, damage the linings in all connecting channels and reservoirs, as they nest (create holes) there,” said Imron at the Bojong Indah Reservoir in Cengkareng on Friday.

Furthermore, Imron explained, the capture was also intended to prevent certain individuals from utilising the plecostomus to produce food items for sale to the public.

This follows the fact that plecostomus generally live at the bottom of Jakarta’s rivers and canals, which contain waste, harmful bacteria, and heavy metals.

“There are risks that could cause public health disturbances if (plecostomus dishes) are consumed,” said Imron.

The capture operation involved joint personnel from various units under the Jakarta West City Government. They combed the reservoir area using makeshift boats and caught the fish with nets and seines.

In addition to capturing plecostomus, the personnel also searched for the fish eggs to suppress their breeding rate.

After being caught, the plecostomus will be buried to prevent the population from reproducing again. This effort is hoped to preserve the aquatic ecosystem in the Jakarta West region.