Farmer and angler Nissanka Arachchige Vimukthi Sandaruwan beat more than 1,000 anglers to become the champion of a unique competition to protect native fish from the invasive giant snakehead fish in Central Sri Lanka.

A native of South-East Asia, the giant snakehead fish are considered an invasive species in many countries. Kept as pets, they can cause massive ecological harm when released into rivers or dams.

Anglers from all over the South Asian island flocked to a dam on the Deduru Oya River on 20 September to target the pest. Despite the turnout, giant snakeheads proved elusive with only 22 caught. 

“This is the first time I’ve participated in a fishing competition,” said Sandaruwan, a 37-year-old farmer, who hooked three fish. “I usually fish in the sea, but this is a different experience. I’m happy that I got a chance to help save our fish,” Sandaruwan told Reuters after being awarded Rs. 25,000, a fishing rod and tackle.

Holding the competition multiple times will support the conservation of native fish in the dam, which includes a species of freshwater fish endemic to Sri Lanka Labeo heladiva, the organisers said.

To help the effort, Sri Lanka also banned the import, possession, breeding and sale of four other invasive foreign fish species.

Sriyan Janaka, 46, is a commercial fisherman who watched his daily catch on the dam dwindle as the population of giant snakehead fish rose. “This fish is a ferocious hunter and has a huge appetite. It eats small fish, and the babies of other fish,” said Janaka, who helped organise the competition to get giant snakehead numbers down. “Once the adult giant snakehead population is reduced, native fish varieties will be reintroduced into the dam to help the ecosystem recover.”

(Reuters)