Suckermouth catfish from West Jakarta to be used as maggot feed and research material

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The West Jakarta Food Security, Marine and Agriculture Sub-department (Sudin KPKP) has handed over a catch of armoured catfish (ikan sapu-sapu) to the relevant agency to be used as feed for black soldier fly larvae and for research purposes.

The fish were caught in the West Flood Canal in Jatipulo, Palmerah.

“The catch was handed over to the DKI Jakarta Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises Office (Dinas PPKUKM) to be used as black soldier fly larvae feed and for research,” said Betty Rahmawati, Head of the West Jakarta KPKP Sub-department, when contacted in Jakarta on Friday.

Betty said the operation was a follow-up to instructions from DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung to control the armoured catfish population in the capital’s waters.

The activity was the twelfth operation carried out in West Jakarta.

“This operation involved 18 joint personnel supported by a rubber boat belonging to the Water Affairs Unit of the DKI Jakarta Environment Department,” she said.

During the operation, officers caught armoured catfish weighing seven kilogrammes in total.

It is known that armoured catfish are invasive in nature and therefore dangerous to other fish populations.

In addition, the species burrows into retaining walls, causing them to weaken quickly.

Armoured catfish are also frequently hunted by certain individuals to be made into processed foods such as siomay. In fact, the fish may contain bacteria such as E. coli or Salmonella, as well as heavy metals such as lead.