KUALA TERENGGANU: Biotope specialist Ronny Kyller, 30, travelled 3,200km from Switzerland to spend eight days in Malaysia to check the marine ecosystem and ensure that the habitat of some of the rarest fish is not disturbed.
“Malaysia is not the Amazon, but it is home to some of the rarest fish species and a destination loved by ichthyologists.
“Like everywhere else, its sustainability is under pressure from progress and habitat loss.
“I was told that some rivers are infested by alien predatory fish and I am worried about the future of the local species in these rivers,” he said while sampling fish in a swamp in Kemaman near here.
He said releasing alien predatory fish into rivers in Malaysia would upset the ecosystem, adding that there was a risk of indigenous species being wiped out either by predatory fish or viruses.
Kyller is popular among ichthyologists in Switzerland and Europe for sampling rare species from Malaysia and other tropical nations.
“In the United States, the authorities drained water from ponds, lakes and rivers just to get rid of the Channa striata or snakehead (haruan) and predatory species. They fear that these alien species could wipe out the local fish species.
“They are serious about the invasion of predatory species, even if it provides entertainment for sports anglers. The authorities here (in Malaysia) can learn from the US fishery and wildlife authorities on containment and preventive measures.
“It will be sad if one day, Sungai Kemaman, Sungai Perak and Sungai Pahang become a new home for the Mekong redtail catfish, Amazon catfish, African catfish, piranhas, arapaima gigas and peacock bass.
“It will be a disaster for fishermen. I hope the local enforcement agencies will check the entry of foreign species to ensure they are not predatory. It is also important to tighten the quarantine process to make sure all fishes are free of harmful bacteria or viruses.”
Kyller said he would return again next year to check the health of biotopes in rivers.
“I don’t mind travelling and spending money to ensure that the fish and their habitat remain intact.
“If it is disturbed or under threat, I will relay such information to ichthyologists in Europe, who may start a rehabilitation campaign to save these species from extinction.”