Jakarta West City Government Rewards Officers for Capturing Janitor Fish

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Jakarta West City Government (Pemkot Jakbar) is providing rewards in the form of Rp25,000 per kilogram of janitor fish caught, along with free recreation at Ancol, to joint task forces that successfully capture the invasive species.

“There is appreciation for those who catch the fish, Rp25,000 for one kilogram, that’s for one group. So, they can enjoy it together later, and we will also invite them to refresh and visit Ancol,” Jakarta West Mayor Iin Mutmainnah told ANTARA in Jakarta on Friday.

In nearly one hour, she mentioned that more than 20 kg of janitor fish had been successfully caught.

“At this point, we have already got 20 kilos, but this is just the beginning. We will proceed gradually, continuing to scour this canal, and we hope that before Friday prayers, this will be completed. I am confident that we will catch a lot if we expand the scope,” Iin said.

After being caught, she explained, the janitor fish are not consumed but are immediately buried at the Semanan Flora Centre to prevent misuse.

“So, the fish will be buried later,” Iin stated.

Meanwhile, Secretary of the Food Security, Maritime Affairs, and Fisheries Office (KPKP) of Jakarta, Mujiati, explained that janitor fish live in mud and can erode canal wall structures if their population is uncontrolled.

“If their numbers are large, they are feared to disrupt the base of the walls because they hide in the mud,” Mujiati clarified.

“So, they usually multiply very quickly, thus displacing local fish,” said Aas.

In addition, the fish can create holes in the wall surfaces, making them brittle quickly.

“Indeed, the nature of janitor fish is that they bore into walls to make burrows. So, this can damage the canal walls in the Jakarta area,” Aas revealed.

Furthermore, she said that janitor fish are often hunted by certain individuals to be processed into food products, such as siomay. However, the fish contain E. coli or Salmonella bacteria, and even worse, heavy metals like lead.

“It is concerning if the public consumes those (janitor fish processed products) continuously, the heavy metals accumulate (in the human body), which is why they must be eradicated,” Aas concluded.