MELAKA: Five officers from the Fisheries Department were rushed to the hospital after being struck by a giant arapaima fish during an operation to capture the invasive species in Masjid Tanah here on Friday, reports said.
According to a report by Sinar Harian, the officers, aged between 35 and 59, were part of a team from the department's Melaka and Selangor branches involved in the seven-hour operation that started at 9am.
The team faced difficulties in capturing the fish due to its aggressive behaviour.
Department director-general Datuk Adnan Hussain said during the incident, two officers suffered breathing difficulties and swelling in the knee after being struck by the head of the arapaima, while three others sustained minor injuries to their knees and chests.
All officers injured during the operation, he said, were admitted to the Alor Gajah Hospital here.
"The team, however, was successful in the operation when they managed to capture three arapaima fish, each weighing 200kg and measuring about 2.7 metres in length," Adnan was quoted in the report.
Adnan had also said the fish were voluntarily surrendered by the owner after realising that keeping the fish was illegal.
"All these fish have been taken to the National Zoo," he said.