Barabai, S Kalimantan (Antaranews Kalsel) - Officers of the Public Order Agency(Satpol-PP) together with the Fisheries and Food Security Agency seized thousands of baby fish sold by traders at the Keramat Market Barabai on Friday (01/04).
"Our residents' report followed up by conducting raids on the traders and succeeded in seizing 33 large basins containing thousands of baby fish from snakehead, sepat (Trichogaster) and papuyu (climbing gourami)," said Acting Head of the Central Hulu Sungai (HST) Fisheries and Food Security Agency Sunar Wiwarni.
However, officers did not take action against the sellers, who also had time to protest. The service only secures the fish.
"Actually, the sellers know if they are prohibited from selling baby fish. And by law, we can indeed do prosecution, but now we still give tolerance with warnings. If it is still repeated, it can be subject to prison sentences," she said.
She said, the agency had previously carried out socialization and counseling of Local Regulation (Perda) No. 16/2011 concerning the protection of fish resources to villages and the market not to catch baby fish, as it causes reducing large fish production until gradually becoming scarce.
According to her, the seized fish will be released into the river and to return them to their habitat to grow and develop into large. If the fish already large, people can catch them in the right ways, not to electrocute or poison.
