COOPERATION between tagal committees and villagers in Sabah in implementing government directives on the removal of koi fish from rivers and tagal areas has helped facilitate the enforcement of a circular that came into effect on April 8.
Sabah Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Datuk Jamawi Jaafar said cooperation and support from local communities are crucial in ensuring the directive to remove koi fish is carried out more effectively across all affected areas to curb the spread of Koi Herpesvirus (KHV).
He said villagers are increasingly aware of the impact of releasing ornamental fish into rivers or tagal areas, as they fear the virus could infect pelian fish species.
“Villagers have expressed their gratitude for the directive as previously they had only heard speculation regarding the cause of pelian fish deaths in tagal areas.
“Once the official statement was issued, residents began to understand that the practice of beautifying tagal rivers by introducing koi fish was a major mistake. All tagal operators are working to remove koi fish from their respective rivers,” he told Bernama.
Tagal is a traditional natural resource management system in Sabah that prohibits fishing in designated river zones for a certain period to allow fish to breed, before harvesting them as a source of food and income for local communities.
Pelian fish, or Tor douronensis, is among the native mahseer species found in Borneo, particularly in Sabah and Sarawak, and is commonly reared in tagal areas.
Jamawi said the issue of pelian fish deaths in rivers and tagal areas has been reported since June 2022, prompting various studies conducted in collaboration with the Marine Science Department of Universiti Malaysia Sabah.
In January, he said study findings indicated that koi fish could be a contributing factor disrupting river ecosystem balance due to viruses carried by the species.
He said the circular directive was issued to all tagal operators to ensure koi fish are promptly removed from rivers and tagal areas, with implementation now actively underway, especially in rivers identified to have the presence of the species.
However, Jamawi clarified that the directive does not apply to koi fish kept in ornamental ponds.
