{
  "id": 15206565,
  "title": "Alien fish species take over 95% of Ampang Hilir lake",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/alien-fish-species-take-over-95-of-ampang-hilir-lake",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-17T12:47:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/10/17/alien-fish-species-take-over-95-of-ampang-hilir-lake"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Agriculture officials in Malaysia have warned that alien species of fish have taken over 95% of the fish population in Ampang Hilir lake, posing a severe threat to the delicate balance of the country's freshwater ecosystem. Isham Ishak, the secretary-general of the agriculture and food security ministry, stated that the ministry is considering tightening regulations and potentially banning certain fish species deemed harmful to the local environment.\n\nThe official called for increased efforts to curb the introduction of foreign fish species into public waters, emphasizing the need for community education to discourage the practice of releasing unwanted pet fish into lakes, dams, and irrigation areas. If public awareness is not raised, the issue could become deeply ingrained and difficult to address in the long term, as these introduced fish could harm aquatic biodiversity and jeopardize the survival of native species.\n\nData from the fisheries department reveals that out of the 154 fish species found in Ampang Hilir lake, 146 are foreign, while only eight are native. At an event held to target these alien fish species, 19.7 tonnes of them were caught and released into the lake. The event, which has been ongoing since 2022, has resulted in the capture of a significant number of foreign fish.\n\nTo address this issue, the ministry is looking into increasing the capture of foreign fish, releasing more local fish fry to help balance the population, and preventing the public from releasing pet fish into public waters. The ministry is also reviewing existing regulations to tighten them further, with a potential ban on certain fish species identified as a threat to the local ecosystem.\n\nDuring the event, Agrobank released 1,400 local fish fry into the lake, comprising 1,100 baung fish and 300 lampam sungai fish, aimed at supporting the conservation of native species. Ahmad Arif Abu Bakar, the chief development officer of Agrobank, stressed the importance of public awareness and education in preserving the country's biodiversity. He emphasized that individuals must understand their responsibility in maintaining the ecosystem, particularly in not releasing pet fish into rivers or lakes when they grow larger.",
  "summary": "A senior official says new regulations may be required to ban certain fish species which will threaten the local ecosystem.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Stop dumping pet fish in lakes, govt warns as alien species wiping out natives in Ampang lake",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/stop-dumping-pet-fish-in-lakes-govt-warns-as-alien-species-wiping-out",
        "published": "2026-10-17T10:50:11.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Alien fish species take over 95% of Ampang Hilir lake",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/alien-fish-species-take-over-95-of-ampang-hilir-lake-15206585",
        "published": "2026-10-17T12:47:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}