KOTA KINABALU: The prolonged hot and dry spell in Sabah is affecting freshwater fish along the Mantaranau-Kitapol River in the Kiulu area on the foothills of Mount Kinabalu.

The Sabah Fisheries Department has taken samples, including swabbing fish found injured or dead, to measure the amount of bacteria and parasites in the water.

Kiulu assemblyman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said he was informed by the department officials that they had detected higher levels of bacteria and parasites in the water, and that it was necessary to prevent it from affecting other areas.

“The fungus could be contagious, and it affects the water here; we fear that it could spread to other rivers as well,” he said after joining villagers to harvest fish conserved under the tagal system in Kg Kitapol in Kiulu on Monday.

(Tagal is a traditional management system in rivers practised for generations by the indigenous people in Sabah. It allows for a period of fish breeding before they are harvested.)

It is understood that the current dry spell is likely to have contributed to the high level of fungal activity in the river following a drop in the dissolved oxygen level in the water.

The problem is compounded by rotting leaves and trees in the river, which has become shallow.

Bangkuai, who is also state Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, said the situation has forced the community to carry out fish harvesting in the red zone, which prohibits fishing as the stretch is meant for fish breeding.

Other stretches marked as yellow zones are only open for fishing during certain periods, while villagers are allowed to fish anytime in green zones.

“The last time this red zone was harvested was about a decade ago. This time, on the advice of Fisheries Department officials, villagers were allowed to harvest the fish rather than leave freshwater fish to die.

“If it is not removed immediately, it would decay and further worsen water quality,” he said.

Meanwhile, Soibon Kinsong, the Kampung Kitapol Bombon Community chairman, said they noticed the wounds on the fish and decided to call the Fisheries Department to check.

“We became worried after seeing the wounds on the fish and feared other freshwater fish might get infected. We immediately called the relevant authority to check; after all, prevention is better than cure,” he said.

Cousins Sherry Lositim, Anjileh Alfred and Winnie Toisin were concerned with the low-level river water and the prolonged dry spell.

“The water pressure at the house is low, but at least we have the river as an alternative,” said Sherry, 33, a mother of four children, aged three to 10.

“With low water pressure, household chores like cooking and doing laundry can be a challenge,” she added.

She said she would take her children to bathe in the river to conserve water and later rinse themselves with clean water at home.

Anjileh, a mother of four, said she often reminds her children not to waste water.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/03/27/dry-spell-threatens-native-conservation-efforts