Janitor Fish Crisis in Kalibata
- Residents in Kalibata, South Jakarta are catching invasive suckermouth catfish from the Ciliwung River to earn money and food. - Suckermouth catfish are known locally as janitor fish and are increasingly abundant in the Ciliwung River. - Environmentalists warn the invasive fish can harm river ecology and livelihoods, prompting calls for coordinated removal efforts (mataram.antaranews.com).
In Kalibata, South Jakarta, residents are pulling invasive janitor fish from the Ciliwung River for cash and food even as Jakarta moves to wipe the species out. (en.antaranews.com) ANTARA reported on April 23 that Ajum, 39, catches suckermouth catfish in Kalibata and can bring in 20 to 30 kilograms on calmer days, but only about 10 kilograms during floods. He said the fish usually sell for Rp15,000 to Rp18,000 per kilogram. (en.antaranews.com) Ajum said he can spend Rp100,000 to Rp150,000 a day on operations and stay in the river for up to six hours using a rubber tire for flotation. He usually sells the catch to middlemen, who redistribute it to small producers or vendors making nuggets, otak-otak, cilok, crackers and siomay. (en.antaranews.com) The fish are known locally as ikan sapu-sapu, or janitor fish, because they cling to surfaces and feed by scraping and sucking. Officials and researchers describe them as an introduced species that has spread widely in Jakarta waterways. (en.antaranews.com) (ipb.ac.id) IPB University fish conservation expert Charles PH Simanjuntak said the species has very high reproductive capacity: a female can produce up to 19,000 eggs in one cycle and males guard eggs in burrows, pushing survival above 90 percent. He said the lack of specific predators in rivers like the Ciliwung makes control difficult. (ipb.ac.id) Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung ordered wider removal operations on April 12, saying areas beyond Central Jakarta needed action as sapu-sapu populations rose. RRI reported the city warned the fish can damage embankments and disrupt aquatic ecosystems if left unchecked. (rri.co.id) By April 17, Jakarta had expanded the cleanup across all five administrative cities, with authorities and residents joining simultaneous catches in rivers and canals. ANTARA Foto said the campaign was meant to cut a population officials consider harmful to Jakarta’s aquatic ecosystem. (antarafoto.com) (jakartaglobe.id) The city is also discussing a longer campaign. BeritaJakarta reported Pramono said on April 14 that he would call a special meeting with Jakarta’s mayors, except the Thousand Islands district, to address the spread. (beritajakarta.id) For Kalibata residents, that leaves a conflict that no river cleanup has solved yet: the same fish Jakarta wants buried is still one of the few catches that reliably brings in money from the Ciliwung. (en.antaranews.com)
