No evidence of established piranha population in Pahang’s Klau Dam yet, says Fisheries Dept

The Department of Fisheries (DOF) found no evidence of a piranha population in Klau Dam after one fish, suspected to be a piranha, was caught on August 26.

Fisheries director-general Datuk Adnan Hussain confirmed the fish resembles the piranha genus but could not confirm the species as the specimen was unavailable for detailed examination.

The DOF continues to monitor the Klau Dam and urges the public not to panic or release alien species into local waters and to consult official sources for accurate information.

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 17 — The Department of Fisheries (DOF) said today there is no evidence yet of an established or breeding piranha population in the Klau Dam, Raub, following the catch of a fish suspected to be of the species on August 26.

Fisheries director-general Datuk Adnan Hussain said only one such fish had so far been reported caught in the area, while investigations and field monitoring by the Pahang Fisheries Department up to September 15 found no additional catches or related safety incidents.

“Based on the technical assessment by the Fisheries Research Institute (FRI) in Glami Lemi, Negeri Sembilan, of photographs and video recordings of the fish, its observable morphological characteristics are consistent with the genus Pygocentrus, which is the piranha group.

“However, definitive confirmation at species level cannot be made as the physical specimen was not available for further examination. The fish was reported to have died and been disposed of by the individual who caught it before the investigation was conducted,” he said in a statement today.

Previously, social media was abuzz with claims of piranhas in the Klau Dam, including posts alleging that the fish had eaten a crocodile, raising concern among netizens over the possible presence of the alien species in the waters.

Adnan reminded the public not to panic, saying the DOF would continue regular monitoring at the Klau Dam and surrounding areas to identify any new developments, while increasing public awareness of the risks of releasing alien or invasive fish species into public waters.

He also said that releasing alien fish species that could become invasive into public waters was irresponsible as it could adversely affect inland aquatic ecosystems, local fish populations and aquatic biodiversity.

“If a fish suspected to be an alien species such as this is caught, do not release it back into the water. Keep the specimen if it is still in suitable condition and immediately contact the nearest fisheries office for further examination and analysis, including deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing if required,” he said.

The public is advised to obtain information from official DOF sources and avoid spreading unverified information to prevent confusion and speculation. — Bernama

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8 月 26 日，渔业部 (DOF) 在克劳水坝捕获了一条疑似食人鱼的鱼后，并未发现食人鱼种群存在的证据。

渔业总监拿督阿德南·侯赛因证实，这种鱼与食人鱼属相似，但由于没有标本进行详细检查，因此无法确认其具体种类。

渔业部将继续监测克劳水坝，并敦促公众不要恐慌，不要将外来物种释放到当地水域，并向官方渠道咨询准确信息。

布城，9月17日讯——渔业部今天表示，在8月26日捕获一条疑似食人鱼的鱼后，目前尚无证据表明劳勿克劳水坝存在已建立或正在繁殖的食人鱼种群。

渔业总监拿督阿德南·侯赛因表示，目前该地区仅报告捕获到一条此类鱼，而彭亨州渔业局截至9月15日的调查和现场监测并未发现其他捕获或相关安全事故。

“根据森美兰州格拉米莱米渔业研究所 (FRI) 对该鱼的照片和视频记录进行的技术评估，其可观察到的形态特征与食人鱼属（Pygocentrus）一致。

“然而，由于没有实物标本可供进一步检验，因此无法在物种层面做出最终确认。据报告，这条鱼在调查开展前就已经死亡，并被捕获者处理掉了。”他今天在一份声明中说。

此前，社交媒体上充斥着有关克劳水坝出现食人鱼的说法，甚至有帖子声称这种鱼吃掉了一只鳄鱼，这引起了网民对水中可能存在这种外来物种的担忧。

阿德南提醒公众不要惊慌，并表示渔业部将继续定期监测克劳水坝及周边地区，以发现任何新的情况，同时提高公众对向公共水域释放外来或入侵鱼类物种的风险的认识。

他还表示，将可能入侵公共水域的外来鱼类物种释放到公共水域是不负责任的，因为这可能会对内陆水生生态系统、当地鱼类种群和水生生物多样性产生不利影响。

他说：“如果捕获到疑似外来物种的鱼，不要将其放回水中。如果样本仍处于适宜状态，请将其保存，并立即联系最近的渔业部门进行进一步检查和分析，包括必要时进行脱氧核糖核酸（DNA）检测。”

为避免造成混乱和猜测，公众应从财政部官方渠道获取信息，避免传播未经证实的信息。——马新社

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