RM10,000 BOUNTY ON ARAPAIMA FISH...Are you dare ?

while reading the newspaper today i came upon an interesting article about the arapaima fish found at the freshwater in Malaysia. actually i'm quite busy with the extra classes and teacher's meeting in school but i found the article is so interesting that i must share it with all of you. do read this article which was published from the BERNAMA's website.

SETIU, July 2 (Bernama) -- The Terengganu government is offering a reward of RM10,000 to anyone who can snare the Giant Arapaima Gigas fish, also known as "ikan naga", in the Kenyir lake.


Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said said the state would allow catching of the giant fish at the lake from today until August 15, except in areas gazetted as part of Taman Negara and the Kelah Sanctuary.

"We hope the Giant Arapaimas would be caught alive because we plan to send them to the Mini Zoo and Recreation Park in Bukit Takal, Kemaman, so that it can become of the area's main attraction," he said here today.

However, he said, catching methods were limited to the use of fishing rod and line and each participant must collect a permit and adhere to the fishing rules and regulations of the lake.

Participants must also bear activity-related costs including boat-renting and, for safety reasons, it was compulsory for participants to register themselves with the Terengganu Tengah Development Authority (Ketengah), he said.

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ARAPAIMA-REWARD 2 (LAST) SETIU

Ahmad said that though the Arapaima Gigas was an enormous fish, it did not attack humans. Rather, it preyed on other fish in the lake.

"We are concerned that this fish species which originates from the Amazon River would feed on the other fish to their extinction. We are also worried they might breed in Lake Kenyir, which we are trying to develop as a prime tourism location in Terengganu.

"I don't know what is the exact number of fish in Lake Kenyir but we have to ensure there are no predatory fish in the man-made lake. The giant snakehead are also predatory fish but they do not grow to be as big as the Arapaima Gigas," he said.

He said Araipaima Gigas can grow up to 4.5 metres in length and weigh over 200kg.

Ahmad said that in its original habitat in the Amazon River, the giant fish is hunted down with spears and the locals considered it an exotic delicacy.

-- BERNAMA