PUTRAJAYA — The Department of Fisheries Malaysia (DOF) has emphasized that any activity involving the release of fish into public waters must prioritize native freshwater species and obtain prior approval from the authorities.
The Director-General of Fisheries Malaysia, Datuk Adnan Hussain, stressed that the release of fish into public waters must be carried out responsibly and in accordance with established technical guidelines.
“Uncontrolled fish releases, or releases made without technical consultation, can disrupt the ecological balance and existing fish populations in rivers and lakes. Therefore, only native freshwater fish species are permitted to be released into public waters, subject to approval from the State or District Fisheries Office.
“All parties — including statutory bodies, government and private agencies, religious bodies, non-governmental organizations, and members of the public — intending to conduct fish or prawn fry release activities must first refer to and obtain approval from the State Fisheries Office or District Fisheries Office at the location where the programme is to be held.
“Technical guidelines related to the implementation of fish release activities can be obtained from the respective offices. This step is important to ensure that the species released are suitable and do not adversely affect the ecological balance and local fisheries resources,” he said in a press release today.
He added that DOF takes seriously a viral video showing the release of fish into the Klang River.
According to the DOF, the native freshwater species that are permitted and commonly used for release into public waters include:
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Kelah
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Tengas
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Temoleh
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Tengalan
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Sebarau
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Lampam Sungai
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Terbul
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Baung
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Puyu
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Udang Galah (giant freshwater prawn)
