PERAK FISHERIES DEPT OFFERS TO BUY TEMOLEH FISH FOR USE AS BREEDING STOCK

GERIK, Dec 4 (Bernama) -- The Perak Fisheries Department is offering to purchase any temoleh fish weighing more than 10 kilogrammes caught or owned by fishermen along Sungai Perak, to be used as breeding stock.

Perak Rural Development, Plantation, Agriculture and Food Industry Committee chairman Datuk Zolkafly Harun said the initiative is among the efforts aimed at increasing the species’ population.

“This measure follows discussions with the State Fisheries Department director after observing a recent decline in the number of temoleh in Sungai Perak.

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“It is a major responsibility, and one of the steps we are taking is to buy these fish from fishermen at market prices,” he said when met by Bernama at the Lake Temengor Ecosystem Conservation Programme at the Royal Belum State Park today.

Also present were Perak Fisheries director Mohd Ghazali Abdul Manap and Perak Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) director Azleena Zainal Abidin.

Bernama had reported that Perak Fisheries Department data showed a sharp decline in temoleh landings over the past five years, with only 116.40 kg recorded as of August this year, compared with over 3,000 kg in 2023.

Zolkafly said overfishing and the species’ annual spawning migration were among the main factors contributing to the decline.

“Typically, these fish migrate upstream in early February to spawn in shallower areas, where they are more easily caught using various methods, including rod fishing and trolling,” he explained.

He added that the state government is also planning to establish a commercial temoleh breeding centre, but its implementation will depend on the number of quality broodstock that can be secured from fishermen.

In another development, he said more than 500,000 fry of various high-value species have been released into the upper Perak River, including Lake Temenggor.

According to Zolkafly, the area is one of the state’s main release sites due to its extensive, high-quality natural habitat and abundant food sources, which support higher fry survival rates.

-- BERNAMA