Innovative step: Senior Fire officer II Suhaimi Ab Samad (second from right) with Fire Officer Muhammad Afiq Jamaludin (left) and Mohd Nordin Abdullah feeding the tilapia at the Meru Fire and Rescue Station. — Bernama
IPOH: Ikan longkang or guppies have been used to test the safety of a novel fish-rearing project by the Meru Raya Fire and Rescue station here to ensure that the initiative does not harm the environment.
This follows public concerns that the project to rear tilapia, a foreign species, could escape into nearby rivers and streams and harm the local ecosystem.
The station’s chief Sharudi Muhamad Halil said the Fisheries Department had sent their technical officers to check the drain, which will be used as a pond, before the project was approved.
“They have advised us on what to do to prevent the fish from escaping.
“After making the necessary preparations, we held a six-month dry run with some ikan longkang (guppy), including during the rainy season, to test the drain.
“The technical officers from the Fisheries Department were satisfied and approved our application for the project, so there’s no issue,” he said, adding that the fish fry were also obtained from the Fisheries Department.
On Oct 25, Bernama reported that the Meru Raya fire station had started a tilapia-rearing project in a drain as a source of food for its personnel and for their mental well-being.
Water from the drain would also be used for the station’s hydroponic farm.
Sharudi said another aim of rearing fish in the drain was to deal with the population of the Aedes mosquito.
“We used to spend hours maintaining and cleaning the drain once a week.
“With the fish, it is hoped that we can lessen the time,” he added.
After news spread about the project, conservationist Hasbullah Rahman took to social media to express his concerns over tilapia escaping to nearby waterways since the drain would lead to a retention pond which then connects to a river.
“Even if there are nets or cages placed to limit the movement of the fish, there are still risks of these being damaged and punctured by monitor lizards or otters,” Hasbullah wrote on the Jejak Air Tawar Facebook page.
“The small fish fry could even escape from these holes and travel to other locations.
“It is not advisable to rear foreign fish in any drain and it is better to do so in tanks or isolated pools,” he added.
Hasbullah also warned that tilapia merah or Nile tilapia, is a hybrid species that was brought into the country from Africa many years ago and is considered an invasive species.
“The Nile tilapia was bred to be more resistant, easily reared and grow quickly.
“They are also aggressive and could eat other local fishes’ eggs, fries and shrimps in rivers.
“I do not mean to criticise the firemen because I respect them.
“I am only voicing out to create awareness,” he added.
