Bantul Regency Government Evaluates Sanction For Residents Catching Fish Using Electric Shocks

Illustration of residents chasing fish in the river. (Antara)

DIY - The Bantul Regency Government is working on regulations for its citizens who catch fish in public waters using electric shocks, bombs, or poison. The regulation will contain sanctions for those who violate it.

"In Bantul, of course with the regent's regulation, there is no problem and I welcome the suggestion that there be regulations in the region, and we will follow up on the regent's regulations," said Bantul Regent Abdul Halim Muslih, quoted from Antara, Monday, October 31.

Abdul added, if possible, it could be prepared with a stronger regional regulation (Perda) that regulates sanctions or penalties for residents who catch fish using methods that can damage the fish ecosystem.

"Although the law (law) has stated that illegal fishing can result in imprisonment or a fine, it already exists, but we will strengthen it, for the time being, we can use regent regulations or regional regulations," he said.

He said that there was a need for rules governing the sanctions, because there were reports from the Bantul Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Service regarding the continued activity of electrocuting fish in rivers and public waters which were carried out at night, where people were already sleeping.

"Of course, this is also difficult to supervise because at night it is above 00.00 WIB, and Alhamdulillah, many young people in Bantul have realized that, and participated in supervising, those who do are usually reprimanded by the community, and this is a good development," he said.

However, he said, it is hoped that there will be awareness for the community not to catch fish with tools that damage the fish habitat ecosystem, but instead participate in monitoring the rivers from activities that threaten the extinction of fish.

"So, the river that we have is amazingly rich in various species of fish that are rich in protein, and these days it's getting harder and harder for us to find them. Without stun, bombs, and poison, they can breed quickly, and there's no waste that bothers us." the growth of the fish ecosystem," he said.

Abdul also said that marine and fisheries resources in Bantul need to be monitored for their sustainability, so that they can be passed on to posterity, considering that there are already a number of fish species in Bantul that are extinct, because their species can no longer be found.

"There is an endemic Bantul fish that is extinct and it is difficult to develop, this should not happen to other fish, such as local river catfish are delicious, protein is higher than pond catfish, this species is also worried that if there is no supervision, we will lose species of fish. rich in protein," he said.