Spreading awareness: Azah (centre) inspecting a Jom Kenali IAS exhibit at the National Botanic Gardens Shah Alam. — MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star
SHAH ALAM: Beware of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) landing on Malaysian soil.
No, this is not science fiction – IAS refers to animals and plants that are introduced accidentally or deliberately into a natural environment where they are not normally found.
They will adversely affect their new environment, including plants, animals and humans.
Agriculture and Food Security Ministry deputy secretary-general (Policy) Datuk Azah Hanim Ahmad said IAS is the second biggest threat to Malaysia’s biodiversity after habitat fragmentation.
So far, IAS has cost millions of ringgit in losses to the country and its food security sector, she added.
“Some examples of the negative effects of IAS on animals are the Nipah virus, which spread in 1998 (following an outbreak at pig farms in Perak) and Lumpy Skin Disease in 2021 due to imported cows.
“For plants, 465ha of coconut plantations in Terengganu were destroyed by rhynchophorus ferrugineus (kumbang merah palma) in 2007, causing RM10mil in losses.
“And between 2003 and 2006, Papaya Dieback disease damaged over one million papaya trees, causing RM200mil in losses,” she said.Currently, she said, the Bacterial Panicle Blight, an exotic plant pest, is attacking padi fields.
“Parthenium hysterophorus (rumpai parthenium) can cause allergic reactions in humans and farm animals while Salvinia molesta (rumpai salvinia) can affect irrigation systems,” she said at the launch of the ‘2023 Public Awareness Programme: Let’s Get To Know About IAS (Jom Kenali IAS)’ at the National Botanical Gardens Shah Alam yesterday.
Currently, out of the 138 IAS identified worldwide, 64 are present in Malaysia, Azah said.
Of these, 17 are plants, 19 are animals and 28 are aquatic.
She added that due to this threat, the ministry has to continuously inspect and conduct damage control on crops and animals, which costs money and also contributes to pollution.
“This is due to the IAS management team having to use chemical pesticides and cutting down trees, which affects the productivity of the farming sector.
“This is why awareness among the public is important and we hope that today’s programme can make a big impact on the sustainability of the country’s biodiversity,” she said.
To help protect the country’s biodiversity, the government established the National IAS Committee in 2016 to manage, coordinate and prevent all IAS-related issues in Malaysia.
Meanwhile, the ministry’s Fisheries Biosecurity Division senior director Yeo Moi Eim said there are 28 types of aquatic life that have been gazetted and categorised as “prohibited fish species for import into Malaysia”. These include piranha, salmon, trout and dragon fish (arapaima).
She said the department is currently in the process of gazetting the Mekong red tail catfish (baung ekor merah Mekong), which is considered an apex predator in rivers and can weigh up to 40kg, as prohbited for import.
“The Mekong red tail catfish can be found in Perak, Pahang and Selangor rivers. It eats fish and prawns as well as their eggs, and this is harming our marine biodiversity.
“It originates from the Mekong River, but somehow managed to find its way here.
“We believe this was due to natural disasters such as floods where the fish can migrate from one place to another, which shows another impact of climate change,” said Yeo.
