No piranha found or caught at Klau Dam, but presence not ruled out, says Fisheries Dept

KUANTAN, Oct 25 — No piranha fish were found or caught during the Alien Fish Mitigation Programme at the Klau Dam, Raub, which took place over two days starting yesterday, said Fisheries Director-General Datuk Adnan Hussain.

However, this situation cannot be interpreted as proof that the species is no longer present in the dam, following previous reports confirming the discovery of piranhas in the area.

He said this mitigation program is one of the inland fisheries management efforts to control alien fish populations and reduce the risk of disruption to native fish species.

“No piranha fish were found or caught throughout this program. However, monitoring and scientific assessment must continue to identify the presence and distribution of the species,” he said via a media statement today.

Previously, a video went viral on social media regarding the discovery of a fish allegedly resembling a piranha at the Klau Dam, Raub, sparking various reactions from the public.

The Department of Fisheries (DOF) added in the same release that, apart from catching activities, research using the environmental DNA (eDNA) method was also carried out during this programme to help detect the possible presence of piranhas in the Klau Dam.

This method allows water samples to be analysed to detect genetic material that may have been left behind by aquatic organisms.

“The final results of the eDNA research will be determined after the analysis and scientific evaluation process is completed. Therefore, any conclusion regarding the status of piranha presence in the Klau Dam must take into account these analysis results alongside relevant monitoring information and field evidence,” according to the statement.

The DOF informed that this programme also aims to reduce the alien fish population, assess the fish composition in the dam’s waters, and increase public awareness of the threat posed by alien species to aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem balance.

The programme, conducted at the approximately 25-square-kilometer dam, involved 150 participants, consisting of 100 anglers, 32 cast-net participants, and 18 gill-net participants.

“Throughout the programme, a total of 156.6 kilograms of alien fish were recorded, involving three main groups, namely Peacock Bass, Zebra Tilapia, and Javanese Carp (Lampam Jawa),” according to the statement. — Bernama

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关丹，10月25日讯——渔业总监拿督阿德南·侯赛因表示，在劳勿克劳水坝进行的为期两天的入侵鱼类防治计划中，没有发现或捕获到食人鱼。该计划从昨天开始。

然而，此前已有报告证实该地区发现了食人鱼，因此不能将此情况解释为该物种已从水坝中消失的证据。

他表示，这项缓解计划是内陆渔业管理措施之一，旨在控制外来鱼类种群，降低对本地鱼类物种造成干扰的风险。

“在整个项目过程中，我们没有发现或捕获到任何食人鱼。但是，必须继续进行监测和科学评估，以确定该物种的存在和分布情况，”他今天在一份媒体声明中表示。

此前，一段关于在劳勿克劳水坝发现疑似食人鱼的视频在社交媒体上疯传，引发了公众的各种反应。

渔业部 (DOF) 在同一份新闻稿中补充说，除了捕捞活动外，该计划还利用环境 DNA (eDNA) 方法进行了研究，以帮助检测克劳水坝中可能存在的食人鱼。

该方法可以分析水样，以检测水生生物可能遗留下的遗传物质。

声明称：“环境DNA研究的最终结果将在分析和科学评估过程完成后确定。因此，任何关于克劳水坝是否存在食人鱼的结论都必须将这些分析结果与相关的监测信息和实地证据结合起来考虑。”

渔业部表示，该计划还旨在减少外来鱼类数量，评估水坝水域中的鱼类组成，并提高公众对外来物种对水生生物多样性和生态系统平衡构成威胁的认识。

该项目在面积约 25 平方公里的水坝上进行，共有 150 名参与者，其中包括 100 名垂钓者、32 名撒网参与者和 18 名刺网参与者。

声明称：“在整个行动过程中，共记录到156.6公斤外来鱼类，主要包括三大类：孔雀鲈、斑马罗非鱼和爪哇鲤鱼（Lampam Jawa）。”——马新社

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