TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Population of Lake Toba’s endemic fish pora-pora continues to decrease in an alarming rate for the past recent years. If there is no action taken to save the fish, it is likely to face extinction.
“To date, population of pora-pora fish, or also known as bilih fish, in Lake Toba has decreased by 80 percent. It approaches the extinction alert rate,” said Longgos Pandiangan, Head of North Tapanuli Fishery and Husbandry Agency in Tarutung on Thursday.
“To save pora-pora fish from extinction, fishermen should control their activity. The estuary which is the border of the lake with river becomes the place where pora-pora lay their egg. Don’t catch fish there.”
Longgos also said that sample of the fish and its predator had been taken to be studied in Jakarta.
“Saving pora-pora’s population is a shared responsibility. Therefore we hope that fishermen can also control their fishing activity,” said Longgos.
ANTARA