DOF, UM COLLABORATE ON NATIVE FISH RESEARCH

KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 (Bernama) -- A total of 36,000 native fish fry including lampam sungai, terbul, kerai, baung and kelah were released into Tasik Varsiti at the Universiti Malaya (UM), to increase the population of these species.

Deputy director-general of Fisheries (Management) Wan Muhammad Aznan Abdullah said the programme in collaboration with UM also aims to conserve the biodiversity of inland fisheries in the federal capital.

"Based on an inventory study conducted in May by the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur/Putrajaya Fisheries Office in collaboration with the Universiti Malaya Sustainable Development Centre (UMSDC), Water Warriors (an initiative to revive water bodies on campus), Sports Centre and Property Management Division, four species of native fish identified in Tasik Varsiti are lampam sungai, ketutu, kelah and kerai.

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"Based on the results of the inventory and the clean and controlled environment of the lake, the Department of Fisheries (DOF) together with UM agreed to make this lake a native fish research bank as a conservation measure to maintain the sustainability of these species, which can then be developed into the country’s aquaculture sector," he said in a statement today.

He said the native fish release programme should be intensified to raise awareness among university students and the public about the importance of protecting native fish in public waters, as well as to foster a sense of responsibility to keep the waters unpolluted.

Meanwhile, UM deputy vice-chancellor (Research and Innovation) Prof Dr Kaharudin Dimyati said UM as a research university always strives to carry out high-impact research.

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He said research related to the preservation and conservation of biodiversity in Tasik Varsiti not only benefits the academic community but also society, providing opportunities for researchers and students to be directly involved in conservation efforts while enriching their knowledge and skills.

"Universiti Malaya as a public higher education institution in the urban campus category welcomes the initiative driven by the Department of Fisheries to elevate the role and function of Tasik Varsiti as one of the main local fish species banks for the Kuala Lumpur zone," he said.

Apart from the release programme, there was also an exhibition of the inland fisheries sector related to prohibited equipment, permitted and prohibited fish species to be released in public waters as well as an exhibition on the history and activities carried out at Tasik Varsiti.

The programme was attended by UM Sustainable Development Centre Eco Campus director Dr Muhammad Azzam Ismail, DOF Capture Fishery Resources Division deputy director Bakri Miswan and Fisheries Office of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur/Putrajaya director Suhanah Kassiron.

-- BERNAMA