Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Government is on full biosecurity alert following confirmation of a Koi Herpesvirus (KHV) outbreak that has caused mass fish deaths in several major rivers since last August.
State Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Minister Datuk Jamawi Jaafar said laboratory analysis by the Sabah Fisheries Department’s biosecurity lab confirmed the virus as the main cause of up to 100pc mortality among fish in the Cyprinidae family.
He said the outbreak has been detected across multiple districts including Keningau, Tambunan, Tenom, Penampang, Tuaran, Ranau and Sipitang.
“The KHV virus is highly aggressive, especially when water temperatures are between 18 and 28 degrees Celsius, and can become more severe with sudden weather changes,” he said.
Jamawi said the ecological crisis is believed to have been triggered by irresponsible parties releasing foreign fish species such as koi and other non-native species into public waterways without proper biosecurity control.
He warned that the act not only violates regulations but also threatens native species, including the locally valuable pelian fish.
The State Government has directed the Fisheries Department to issue special circulars implementing control measures in affected districts, including instructing Tagal community leaders to identify, capture and remove all non-native species from rivers for disposal under standard operating procedures.
The Government has also imposed a temporary ban on the import and export of all Cyprinidae species, including live fish fry and broodstock, pending a full risk assessment.
Jamawi stressed that enforcement under the Sabah Inland Fisheries Enactment will be strengthened with no compromise for offenders, urging aquaculture operators and the public to comply with biosecurity protocols to protect Sabah’s aquatic biodiversity.
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