Fishermen raise alarm over presence of ‘cannibal fish’ in Port Louis area

With the government’s announcement to identify four new sites for aquaculture outside the lagoon, the presence of certain fish in local waters, particularly the red drum and barr, has come as a serious worry for the fishing community.

The Red Drum, known to be cannibal and host for a dangerous parasite, were spotted between Roche-Bois and Pointe-aux-Piments, and pose a danger to the marine environment, according to fishermen.

Environmental engineer and oceanographer Vassen Kauppaymuthoo was cited as telling Defi Media that he has been sounding the alarm about the dangers of these species in our waters for several years.

In tropical environments such as Mauritius, there is little chance of the fish becoming established due to the requirement for a period of cold temperatures (< 16^o C) to trigger gamete maturation.

Juvenile red drums are the intermediate host for Contracaecum multipapillatum, a nematode. This parasite infects the kidneys while waiting for maturation until it resides in the definitive host – birds.

Red drums can become infected internally with other parasites in the intestines, stomach, muscle, liver, and the heart.

Specimens have been reported with external parasites on the gills, skin, scales, and fins. Red drums have also been documented with benign tumors.