Villagers in parts of Sri Lanka are finding ways to adapt to a growing environmental threat, the invasion of a predatory fish known as the snakehead.
Experts warn that the snakehead fish, originally from Asia, poses a serious danger to local ecosystems. The fish is highly aggressive, multiplies rapidly, and can even survive for hours on land without water, allowing it to spread easily between water bodies.
Communities most affected have started using both traditional and modern techniques to reduce the fish’s spread. These include forming local water-monitoring groups, setting traps, and organizing collective fishing efforts to remove snakeheads from lakes and rivers.
Sri Lanka’s environmental authorities have urged the public not to release snakehead fish into public waterways, warning that such actions could cause severe ecological damage in the future.