Pramono plans to establish special PJLP to handle plecostomus fish

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung Wibowo plans to establish a special team of Individual Other Service Providers (PJLP) to capture and address plecostomus fish in the capital’s waters. This step is taken following the dominance of plecostomus fish, which is considered to have disrupted the river and waterway ecosystems in Jakarta. “We will focus on this, and for that, there will be a special assignment for PJLP to handle this plecostomus fish,” Pramono said in North Jakarta on Friday. Pramono stated that handling plecostomus fish cannot be done only ceremonially. He wants the handling of the fish to be carried out sustainably by involving special personnel in the field. He also assessed that the increasingly massive presence of plecostomus fish now needs to be addressed seriously because it is invasive and damages the ecosystem. In addition to preying on other fish eggs, plecostomus fish is also considered capable of damaging embankments or revetments along rivers because this fish often makes holes as nests. Based on a report from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), the residue levels in the fish average above 0.3, which is considered risky to health if consumed. “If consumed, it is certainly dangerous. In addition, this fish also damages the environment by making nests by gnawing on river walls,” Pramono explained. Previously, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government had held a simultaneous plecostomus fish capture movement in five administrative city areas, namely North Jakarta, South Jakarta, East Jakarta, West Jakarta, and Central Jakarta. Pramono directly joined and monitored personnel from the blue squad of the Water Resources Agency (SDA) and the orange squad of Public Infrastructure and Facilities Handling (PPSU) who moved quickly to catch plecostomus fish.