It's Been Revealed That A Giant Fish Has Been Found By Residents Of Lhokseumawe Aceh, A Species That Inhabits The Amazon River, Brazil

Residents lift a giant fish found in a ditch during a flood, in Lhokseumawe, Aceh (ANTARA/HO)

ACEH - The Aceh Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Service (DKP) confirmed that the giant fish found by residents during a flood in the Lhokseumawe City area, Aceh, some time ago, was of the arapaima type. The original habitat of this giant fish is from the Amazon river, Brazil.

"That's right (the Arapaima type), originally from the Brazilian Amazon river," said Head of Aceh Department of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (DKP) Aliman, in Banda Aceh, as reported by Antara, Thursday, January 6.

Previously, the Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) checked the discovery of a giant fish suspected of being an arapaima in the flooded area of Lhokseumawe City, Aceh.

The discovery of the giant fish was a scene in Acehnese society, especially in the flooded area of Lhokseumawe City, and has gone viral on social media such as Facebook and Instagram.

Aliman said, based on information received, the fish were kept in an ornamental fish shop in Lhokseumawe. Then because it is dead, it is dumped into the nearest channel.

"The condition of the fish is dead, and the information is that the fish were already dead before being thrown into the river," he said.

Aliman conveyed that the arapaima fish were prohibited from circulating in Indonesia in accordance with the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Regulation (KP) Number 19 of 2020 concerning the prohibition of the entry, cultivation, circulation, and release of dangerous and/or harmful fish species into and from state fishery management area.

On this occasion, the Aceh DKP appealed to the public not to keep these fish, because they are wild and predatory for fish of other species, and can threaten other fish populations if they are released into public waters.

"We also ask that the PSDKP (Marine and Fishery Resources Supervision) can monitor more closely the circulation of these fish species," said Aliman.