A gazette notification has been issued banning the import and sale of four invasive ornamental fish species by the Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic Resources, and Ocean Resources.
Accordingly, the ban applies to Piranha, Knife Fish, Alligator Gar and Redline Snakehead.
According to the notification, breeding, releasing the fish species into water systems, transporting, purchasing, selling or displaying for sale, possessing, importing and exporting are banned.
The Ministry has stated that the restrictions are only applicable to live fish while catching them from natural water bodies for consumption is permitted, provided that prior approval is obtained from the National Aquaculture Development Authority of Sri Lanka (NAQDA), as stipulated under the Sri Lanka Aquaculture Development Act No. 53 of 1998.
According to the gazette, these fish are defined as ‘invasive species’ since they are capable of rapidly spreading at high population densities and causing harm to other aquatic species.
