KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah state government has taken firm and comprehensive action to address the mass deaths of fresh water fish, locally known as pelian, following the confirmation that it was caused by an outbreak of Koi Herpesvirus (KHV) since Aug 1, 2025.
State Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Minister Datuk Jamawi Jaafar, said the large-scale deaths involved several major rivers in Keningau, Tambunan, Tenom, Penampang, Tuaran, Ranau and Sipitang.
Laboratory analysis by the Biosecurity Laboratory of the Sabah Fisheries Department at the Likas Fisheries Complex confirmed KHV as the main cause.
Jamawi explained that KHV is a dangerous pathogen affecting fish from the Cyprinidae family, classified as a high-impact aquaculture disease with extremely high mortality rates.
Field investigations found the main source of transmission was the release of non-native fish, particularly koi and other Cyprinidae species, into public waters without control, he said in a statement on Monday (April 6).
Jamawi said such irresponsible actions violated biosecurity principles and caused serious infections among native species, including pelian, often referred to as kelah in Peninsular Malaysia.
The government has ordered immediate control measures, including all tagal chairpersons to identify, capture and remove koi and other non-native Cyprinidae species from rivers and tagal areas.
Jamawi said these fish must be destroyed immediately according to biosecurity disposal SOPs, with re-release strictly prohibited.
The tagal system in Sabah is a traditional, community-based river management practice where local villagers collectively agree to prohibit fishing in designated stretches of rivers for a certain period to allow fish stocks—especially pelian to recover.
He also said a temporary ban on the import and export of all Cyprinidae species to and from Sabah, covering live fish, fry, broodstock and any biological transfers that could spread KHV.
Jamawi said that enforcement under the Sabah Inland Fisheries Enactment will be strengthened without compromise.
“Anyone releasing foreign fish into public waters, failing to comply with destruction orders, or violating the import/export ban will face strict legal action,” he warned.
He also issued a stern reminder to aquaculture operators, ornamental fish breeders and the public not to introduce or release foreign species into public waters, and to fully comply with biosecurity requirements.
