The partnership between UM and the Department of Fisheries Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur/Putrajaya continued to grow in 2025 through a series of collaborative efforts at Tasik Varsiti.
A 24-hour fish-inventory study was carried out from 13 to 14 November 2025 to document fish populations and understand their distribution around the lake. This study built on earlier efforts, following the native juvenile and adult fish-releasing ceremony held on 18 July 2024 and the first inventory conducted in early 2024. The programme formed part of an ongoing initiative to better understand the ecological condition of Tasik Varsiti and support long-term lake stewardship.
Species recorded during the November 2025 survey included:
Native (N):
Lampam sungai (Barbonymus schwanefeldii) [N]
Ketutu (Oxyeleotris marmorata) [N]
Kelah (Tor tambra) [N]
Kerai kunyit (Hypsibarbus wetmorei) [N]
Baung (Hemibagrus capitulum) [N]
Terbul (Osteochilus vittatus) [N]
Non-native (NN):
Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) [NN]
Midas cichlid (Amphilophus citrinellus) [NN]
Jaguar cichlid (Parachromis managuensis) [NN]
Lampam jawa (Barbonymus gonionotus) [NN]
Belida tompok (Chitala ornata) [NN]
Bandaraya (Pterygoplichthys sp.) [NN]
Note: [N] Native, [NN] Non-native
Earlier in the year, the Department of Fisheries reinforced its commitment to conserving native freshwater species in public waters. In collaboration with UM, the team released 5,100 fry of the native Puyu fish into Tasik Varsiti on 7 November 2025. The release, held at the Kayak House, supported efforts to restore inland fisheries resources and enhance native species presence in the lake.
Together, these initiatives demonstrated the shared commitment of UM and the Department of Fisheries to sustaining biodiversity, strengthening ecological resilience, and ensuring Tasik Varsiti remained a healthy habitat for native aquatic life.
