From Pets to Pests : Invasive Alien Fish in Malaysia

Beware of aliens that live in our backyard! 📣📣

Aliens have landed in Malaysia and have been slowly invading our rivers, drains, lakes and ponds since the 1950's.These aliens have silently invaded and are slowly spreading across the country!Before I cause a nationwide scare, I do not mean those green creatures in spaceships 👽 I meant Invasive Alien Fish!

Invasive alien fish are not found naturally in Malaysia , they are brought into our country, invade our local river systems that leads to harming to the ecosystem, economy as well as human health.How do these alien fish enter Malaysia and get introduced into our ecosystem?

There are many routes for alien fish to enter Malaysia , here I've listed three prominent ways :

Aquarium industry
Aquaculture
Recreational fishing activities

Throughout our lives, many of us would have had a pet fish.Fish lover or not, I'm confident you would have heard of the Goldfish(Carassius auratus),Guppy(Poecilia reticulata),Flowerhorn,Clownfish (aka Nemo) or even Betta fighting fish (Betta splendens).Would it surprise you , if i said all of these fish are not local fish, but are imported into Malaysia?

If you visit the local aquarium near you, you would have come across many colorful, exotic fish that catch your eye.Our local aquariums are packed to the brim with exotic fish that are actually harmful to our ecosystem!

In 2018, it was reported that Malaysia imported $4.91 million worth of ornamental fish .The dependency on foreign fish is further fueled by local fish breeders who now have learnt how to farm these fish and even change their appearances to produce different varieties .

Malaysia is home to more than 50 species of fish that are endemic (found in Malaysia only), however chances are you've have never come across these fish in aquariums before. *Here's a challenge for you , list down 5 local fish species that you've seen in aquariums in the comments below (Don't Google.Try it!)

Our local fish have no chance against these far more popular fish. Why are invasive fish more popular compared to our local counterparts? Firstly, the awareness about our local freshwater jewels are extremely low amongst our community.imported aquarium fish are heavily promoted due to their colorful appearance and unusual varieties.Furthermore, recreational fishing activities have boosted the popularity of aggressive "game fishes" such as Peacock Bass, Arapaima, Red Tail Catfish and Alligator Gar .

Game fish is popular amongst anglers who go to artificial fishing ponds stocked with exotic fish you definitely cannot find locally. To clarify, I do not blame recreational fishermen as the sole reason for the introduction of invasive fish into Malaysia, however, responsibility must be shared between the aquarium industry and the recreational fishing spot owners for paving the pathway to bringing in these pests into the country.Accidental release of invasive fish into local rivers can cause more harm than good. Once invasive alien fish enter our local rivers , they multiple in big numbers and spread to new areas. For example, Did you know the Red tail Mekong catfish can grow up to 1.85 metres in length? Imagine trying to find an aquarium large enough to house John Cena? Fish hobbyist that buy these alien fish,have a hard time maintaining them once they grow too big. When these fish have outgrown their aquariums people tend to release these exotic fish into the nearest drains or rivers.

Right about now, you would probably be wondering what happens if invasive fish are let into our waters.There probably isn't much harm if we let our harmless household pets into the nearest rivers?Fish belong in the rivers after all!There is a wide misconception that all fish should go back to their home in rivers! This is not true! Not all fish belong in our Malaysian rivers!

Once an invasive species arrives , it's about impossible to get rid of it- Sean Henna

What makes a fish invasive? Other than not naturally being found in local waters, invasive fish are fish that able to enter a new environment , breed in big numbers and spread/ migrate to new areas.Just like a game of League of Legends, these invasive aliens fight for dominance in a new environment; competing for food with local fish.Some alien fish even eat these local fish!In addition, a fish that is invasive is able to adapt to harsh climates and tolerate low oxygenated waters; increasing it's chances to survive anywhere.

The impacts of invasive alien fish are becoming more obvious in Malaysia.There have been numerous reports in the media about the decline of local fish population because of invasive alien . In Timah Tasoh Dam , the livelihood of fishermen there have been disrupted due to the increase of Peacock Bass.Local fish such as Lampam and Haruan have been reportedly decreased up to 30% according to sources there.Similar cases are being reported all over Malaysia (listed below).

As a result of the rapid expansion of the aquarium and recreational fishing, the number of accidental releases of alien fish into local habitats has increased.Drastic measures must be taken by authorities to deal with this issue before the damage is too severe.We must also play a key role to help address the invasive alien fish issue.The next time you are wanting to get a new fish, why don't you opt for a local fish variety instead . Remember, to never throw away fish into the rivers or ponds! NOT ALL FISH BELONG IN OUR RIVERS! Give them to a friend or family instead. Let's empower local fish and reduce the need to import alien fish into our country.

Stay tuned for more posts and information on Invasive Alien Fish in upcoming posts. Do help to share to spread awareness about alien fish in Malaysia.

If you have a few minutes, please help me answer a few questions on Fish Ownership Habits: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdCWIr9gBBXll510E3WnR2ewTah9QYj1YI-7TDgbwXA6X2zQw

-Lavanya

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