Sapu-sapu Fish Culling Continues: 383 Specimens Captured in Pesanggrahan River, West Jakarta

The West Jakarta Food Security, Maritime, and Agriculture Sub-Department (KPKP) has captured another 383 specimens of sapu-sapu fish in the Pesanggrahan River flow, RW 05, Meruya Utara, Kembangan, West Jakarta, on Wednesday (13/5/2026).

“We successfully captured 383 sapu-sapu fish, with a total weight of 92 kilograms,” said the Head of the Fisheries Section of the West Jakarta KPKP Sub-Department, Aas Asih, when confirmed in Jakarta, quoted on Thursday (14/5/2026).

“After capture, they were immediately buried at the Sentra Flona Semanan,” Aas added.

Aas explained that the sapu-sapu fish is invasive and harmful to other fish populations in the Semanan Indah Canal.

“So it reproduces very quickly, displacing local fish,” he stated.

Additionally, this species creates holes in revetment walls, causing them to deteriorate rapidly.

“Indeed, the nature of the sapu-sapu fish is that it bores into walls for shelter. So it can damage the revetments of the channels in the Jakarta area,” Aas said.

Sapu-sapu fish is also often hunted by certain individuals to be processed into dishes like siomay.

Meanwhile, the fish contains bacteria such as E. coli or salmonella, and even heavy metals like lead.