Pramono Declares War on Tilapia in Jakarta River
Governor of DKI Jakarta, Pramono Anung, has instructed all mayors in Jakarta to take action against the invasive tilapia species, which is deemed to have damaged the capital’s water ecosystem and embankment infrastructure.
Pramono stated that the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government apparatus will soon gather the mayors, given the increasingly concerning impact of this aquatic pest.
“And in the near future, the DKI Jakarta Government will hold a special meeting on tilapia. Because I will ask all mayors—except for the Thousand Islands—to handle this, as the impact is already being felt,” Pramono said at the Office of the Unit for Investigation, Testing, and Measurement of the DKI Jakarta Public Works Road Service, East Jakarta, on Tuesday (14/4).
Pramono explained that the initial steps to control this alien species have been trialled during the eradication in the canal in front of Plaza Indonesia.
“So the handling of tilapia carried out in front of Plaza Indonesia serves as an example and role model for handling it in other places,” Pramono said.
Pramono highlighted the resilience and destructive nature of tilapia, which directly threatens the survival of local endemic fauna and risks collapsing water-retaining structures.
“Moreover, this fish originates from South America; they are very tough and become predators to local fish, including wader fish and so on. They take all the food, and they damage the existing embankments because that’s where their homes are,” Pramono explained.
He committed to resolving this issue comprehensively so that the capital’s aggressive measures can serve as a reference for handling in other regions.
A previous tilapia capture operation was conducted in Kali Cideng, specifically in front of Plaza Indonesia, Menteng, Central Jakarta.
The activity involved 100 combined personnel from the DKI Jakarta Food Security, Maritime, and Agriculture Service (KPKP) to the Central Jakarta Gulkarmat.
During the operation, officers captured 41 large tilapia specimens deemed to disrupt the river ecosystem.
Head of the DKI Jakarta KPKP Service, Hasudungan A Sidabalok, stated that the capture was part of efforts to curb the spread of invasive species in Jakarta’s rivers.
Efforts to eradicate tilapia were first carried out by Arief Kamarudin, a young man in the Lenteng Agung area, South Jakarta.
Arief routinely eradicates tilapia breeding in the Ciliwung river flow near his home. He and several friends often dive into the canal to hunt for tilapia and their eggs.