Intan says river contamination affects all fish species such as ‘tilapia’ and ‘ikan keli’, not just ‘ikan bandaraya’.
Suckermouth catfish or ikan bandaraya can only be consumed if its habitat is free from pollution.
Otherwise, steer clear, says an expert in native fish species and aquaculture.
Universiti Selangor Faculty of Engineering and Life Sciences senior lecturer Dr Intan Faraha A. Ghani said heavy metals could be present in ikan bandaraya due to contamination in rivers.
“Ikan bandaraya is safe to eat if the surrounding area is clean and free from pollution.
“However, the river’s condition itself often leads to contamination,” she added.
Intan said that in polluted waters, all types of fish were unsafe for consumption.
“The feeding habit of ikan bandaraya is the same as ikan keli (from the catfish family).
‘Ikan bandaraya’ satay at a cookout in Sungai Langat, Selangor. — Courtesy of Foreign Fish Hunter squad’s (formerly known as Ikan Bandaraya Hunters) Facebook page.
“In a river, within the same ecosystem, there are tilapia, catfish and ikan bandaraya consuming the same food.
“So, why single out ikan bandaraya as the only fish that is unsafe to eat?”
Intan referred to a programme to eradicate ikan bandaraya along Sungai Damansara in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, where some of the catch were eaten and others processed into fish feed.
“Before processing into fish feed, we conducted tests to ensure the ikan bandaraya was safe for consumption.
“The fish was tested for harmful heavy metals such as mercury, lead and chromium, which are dangerous to humans.”
Intan is among key collaborators working with the state government to reduce invasive fish population in Selangor’s rivers.
Together, studies are being carried out to assess the commercial potential of ikan bandaraya while working to remove the alien species from Selangor’s waterways.
Intan also highlighted the nutritional value of ikan bandaraya, stating that it was high in protein.
“Ikan bandaraya typically contains around 16g of protein per 100g, which is higher than the 12g of protein per 100g in ikan keli.
“Some ikan bandaraya samples show protein levels as high as 18g per 100g, which is comparable to tilapia,” she said, adding that this made the species an attractive option for fish farmers.
“We encourage fish farmers to consider ikan bandaraya as an alternative ingredient for fish feed due to the high protein content.
“We have even developed a formula for this,” she said.
However, Intan cautioned that there were risks.
“When we carried out tests, we found that some samples contained mercury.”
She also cautioned about promotion of the fish’s consumption, and advised those carrying out cooking events featuring ikan bandaraya to ensure the fish was safe to eat.
“The most effective solution to the ikan bandaraya problem is to process the fish into landscape fertiliser.
“Using it for landscaping is appropriate but it should not be used for growing vegetables, as the produce will ultimately be consumed by humans,” she stressed.
Intan said ikan bandaraya was suitable as pet food too, such as fish feed.
Findings on metal content, she said, varied from one river to another.
“For instance in Sungai Damansara, tests detected chromium and zinc in ikan bandaraya while in Sungai Langat, mercury and arsenic were found.
“In Sungai Langat, we found mercury content in ikan bandaraya but not in Sungai Damansara,” she said.
“When we conducted sampling tests in 2022 at Sungai Langat, no heavy metals were detected in ikan bandaraya.
“However, we cannot claim that ikan bandaraya is the only fish affected by heavy metals.
“Other fish species such as keli, siakap, baung and patin living in the same river can also be affected, so it boils down to the river’s condition,” Intan pointed out.
