Sailfin Catfish Caught to Be Buried Immediately as Unfit for Consumption

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung Wibowo has emphasised that sailfin catfish captured from all rivers in the capital will be buried immediately as they are unfit for consumption.

“The sailfin catfish will be buried. This is dangerous because the aquatic life in Jakarta is estimated to consist of over 60% sailfin catfish, and it must be reduced on a massive scale to return to normal,” Pramono explained when met in the North Jakarta area on Friday.

According to him, the sailfin catfish contain residues, making them hazardous for consumption.

Pramono stated that, based on information he has delved into, South America is the origin country of the fish, where they are found breeding prolifically in both dirty and clean waters.

However, he noted, that country has developed technology to process the fish at high temperatures, turning them into flour for livestock and ornamental fish feed.

“Even so, they still do not dare to do it on a large scale because of the high metal content. Even in countries with cleaner water, it is quite high. In Jakarta, we have found an average of over 0.3, which is dangerous,” Pramono revealed.

On the same occasion, the Director General of Aquaculture at the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), Haeru Rahayu, said that sailfin catfish can actually be utilised as organic fertiliser.

However, the high residue content in the fish’s body needs to be heeded, so it must not be consumed.

“There are many ways (to process it), one of the easiest is to use it for organic fertiliser. The second is actually a proposal to use it for fishmeal. But we have considerable concerns about the residues. If made into fishmeal, then eaten by fish, and the fish eaten by humans, it has the potential to enter humans,” Haeru explained.