Prevent the Dangers of Heavy Metals, BIOTROP Urges the Government to Use Sapu-Sapu Fish as Souvenirs

BOGOR - The phenomenon of an abundance of mop-up fish populations in polluted waters such as the Ciliwung River is now offering a new solution that is more economically valuable.

Director of SEAMEO BIOTROP, Edi Santosa, encouraged the government to direct the use of invasive fish as raw materials for souvenirs and organic fertilizers for ornamental plants in the residents' homes, rather than just being destroyed or buried.

This step is proposed to reduce the health risks due to illegal consumption by the community, given the findings of research related to the high accumulation of heavy metals in the body tissues of fish in the Bogor and Jakarta regions.

Instead of letting the fish carcasses rot and pollute the environment, the utilization of organic materials and the unique physical shape of the fish are considered as creative economic opportunities that can be managed at the household level.

"I believe that all of God's creations must have benefits. The most basic benefit of organic materials is as fertilizer. We can use these sweepers as fertilizer for ornamental plants, plants that we enjoy their beauty, not for eating," said Edi at BIOTROP, Bogor, Wednesday, May 6, 2026.

Edi gave an important note for the government and the public that fertilizer from fish sapu-sapu caught in polluted rivers should only be used specifically for ornamental plants, not food crops such as vegetables or fruit.

This is aimed at breaking the chain of exposure to heavy metals so that they are not absorbed back by humans through food consumption.

The biological characteristics of these fish as bottom dwellers make them vulnerable to absorbing pollutants from mud, industrial waste, to household waste.

In addition to the potential for fertilizer, the creative economy sector is also looked at through the making of handcrafts from dried sapu-sapu fish.

Inspired by the processing of piranha fish in Brazil, the physical shape of the exotic and hard mop fish is considered to have artistic value as a typical display or souvenir.

According to Edi, this step is much more beneficial and safe than people taking health risks by consuming it as processed food.

Even though it offers an economic solution, Edi still gives a stern warning to the public and asks the government to tighten supervision so that sapu-sapu fish is not used as food ingredients.

As a "cleaner" of the river's base, these fish consume anything that settles, including mercury and lead.

He emphasized that the main food requirements are safety and health, so that the use as a creative product in the home of residents becomes the best middle ground to control invasive species while also driving the local economy.

"For now, our warning remains the same: fish from public waters should not be consumed. It is still very dangerous for health," concluded Edi.