Tangerang Residents Resume Fishing in the Cisadane River Despite Chemical Contamination

Residents of Tangerang City Resume Fishing in the Cisadane River, Unconcerned About Chemical Contamination

Residents living along the banks of the Cisadane River in Tangerang City have resumed fishing activities after the river was previously contaminated with chemical waste from pesticides. This activity is also being used by residents to pass the time while waiting for the breaking of the fast during the month of Ramadan.

As observed by CNNIndonesia.com in the Babakan sub-district, Tangerang, Banten, several residents were seen casually fishing on the riverbank and along the edge of the river on Tuesday (24th February). They are using simple fishing equipment with nets attached to the ends to catch fish.

Previously, fishing activities had been temporarily suspended due to suspected pesticide contamination, which was believed to have originated from a fire at a warehouse in the South Tangerang area some time ago.

The incident resulted in several fish being found in a dazed or dead condition, causing residents to refrain from fishing for a while.

Now, residents believe that the river water conditions have improved. They assess that the water quality is gradually recovering after flooding and changes in water flow, including water released from the Batu Belah Dam in Bogor, West Java.

A resident of Kedaung Wetan, Mpe, said that he has resumed fishing and managed to catch three relatively large tilapia. He plans to fry the fish to be consumed with his family during the breaking of the fast.

“I caught three tilapia. Now it’s better; after several floods, the water level rose, and the contamination decreased,” he said.

Similarly, Mang Ncim, a resident of Babakan, said that he fishes almost every day, although the catch is not always plentiful. However, he said that the size of the fish caught now tends to be larger compared to when the river was contaminated.

“Now the fish are bigger, and the water is also stable after two floods. It’s for cooking with the family,” he said.

Meanwhile, another resident, Anwar, said that the current water conditions in the river are considered more conducive. He said that the fish caught are no longer in a dazed condition as they were before.

“Now it’s good, not like before. Thank God, I can fry it and eat it at home,” he said.

Residents hope that the improved water quality of the Cisadane River will restore the river’s ecosystem to its former state, so that the fish caught are safe for consumption.

On the other hand, the Tangerang City Environmental Agency is still awaiting the results of laboratory tests on the water quality of the Cisadane River, which are being conducted by the Ministry of Environment, to ensure that the water conditions have fully recovered.

(dod/dal)[Gambas:Video CNN]