Mass removal of invasive ‘janitor fish’ in Indonesia’s capital

The fish are being killed and buried during a campaign to remove the invasive species from the city’s rivers, canals and water reservoirs (AP)

Cheers broke out in Indonesia’s capital as residents, city workers and environmental volunteers hauled bulging nets of invasive fish to the surface of a reservoir in an operation to crack down on “janitor fish”.

Authorities are seeking to remove at least 10 tonnes (nine metric tonnes) of the fish from Jakarta’s waterways, an effort officials hope will restore balance to the Ciliwung River and renew public attention on water quality.