THE country will ban four species of predatory ornamental fish including Piranhas that have escaped into rivers and lakes, devastating native species and threatening fragile freshwater ecosystems, the fisheries minister said.
"We want to protect our inland water bodies from invasive species," Ramalingam Chandrasekar said, adding it was aimed at protecting the livelihoods of fishermen on the island nation.
The import, sale and transportation of Redline Snakehead, Knife Fish, Alligator Gar and Piranha, imported from South-East Asia, will be banned from Saturday, the minister said in a statement.
Snakeheads, which can grow to one metre, were rapidly multiplying in a lake in the northwestern part of the island, threatening the native species.
Officials believe they may have been released into the Deduru Oya lake by owners who could no longer care for them.
Sri Lankans are not used to consuming Snakehead fish.
The fisheries ministry has organised a competition for anglers to catch Snakeheads, coinciding with the ban on Saturday. -- AFP