Dumped flowerhorns affecting rivers

Unwanted fish dumped by irresponsible fishkeepers are damaging the ecology of Malaysia's rivers.

Vincent Chow, the Johor branch advisor of the Malaysian Nature Society told the New Straits Times that luohan, or flowerhorn cichlids as they are called in the UK, were among the fish found dumped in Malaysia's rivers:

"This species of fish is no longer in demand. So hobbyists have opted to dump them into the river. They don't want to keep them because they are aggressive."

Fishermen believe that other species, such as African catfishes, are infesting the river and eating freshwater crustaceans and the fry of native fishes.

One fisherman, Abdullah Ahmed, told the paper that the river used to be teeming with a variety of fish, but now the only species caught were non-native catfishes.

"Locals don't eat this species of catfish. Hence it has no commercial value", he told the New Straits Times.

Other fishermen are now forced to travel further upriver because stocks have been damaged on their usual fishing grounds.