Legislators Support for Strengthened Food Monitoring

Member of Commission B of the Jakarta City Council, Muhammad Al Fatih emphasized the importance of synergy between the Food Security, Maritime Affairs and Agriculture Agency (KPKP), the Health Agency, the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) and the Environmental Agency in building an integrated and sustainable food monitoring system.

strengthening inter-agency coordination

This was conveyed by Al Fatih, after the action taken by the Sawah Besar Public Order Agency, Central Jakarta, against the activities of five men who were caught processing and selling suckerfish meat from the Ciliwung River in the Pasar Baru area, Central Jakarta, some time ago.

Legislators Support Public Involvement in Suckerfish Control

According to him, supervision can not be merely reactive following public reports. The government, he added, needs to take proactive measures through routine inspections of traditional markets and street vendor locations.

"This case can not be ignored. The City Council will encourage strengthening inter-agency coordination," he said, Monday (4/27).

Al Fatih also encouraged the implementation of regular laboratory tests on raw food materials, especially processed fish products sold by small traders.

Regulatory strengthening is also needed, with strict sanctions imposed on businesses found to be endangering public health. He believes that a mere warning is not sufficient for such violations.

"Stricter administrative sanctions, including revocation of business licenses, and even criminal proceedings are needed if proven to endanger consumers," he added.

Furthermore, Al Fatih continued, the suckerfish control program needs to be evaluated comprehensively.

He outlined several issues that require attention. First, there's a lack of public education. The Jakarta Provincial Government is being urged to conduct more extensive public awareness campaigns about the dangers of consuming suckerfish from urban waters, which can potentially contain dangerous levels of heavy metals.

Second, the economic impact on honest small-scale vendors. He expressed concern that this case has eroded public trust in food vendors, such as siomay sellers, even though many of them do not use hazardous materials.

"This is what's called a chain reaction. The mistakes of a handful of individuals have harmed thousands of honest siomay vendors. The government must step in to protect them through food safety certification or labeling for small vendors who meet standards," he explained.

Third, eradication efforts for the suckerfish must be carried out routinely and in a planned manner. This is because this fish is an invasive species that reproduces rapidly, so control can not be carried out sporadically.

"There must be a routine, scheduled, and measurable program, involving local communities, river volunteers, and fish farmers for non-consumption uses, such as animal feed or compost," he continued.

Finally, he emphasized the importance of addressing the root cause of river pollution. He explained that the heavy metal content in suckerfish stems from industrial and household waste that pollutes the waters.

"As long as pollution is not handled seriously and perpetrators of illegal waste disposal are not dealt with firmly, the risks to public health will continue to recur," he emphasized.