Sri Lanka to ban invasive fish species to protect freshwater ecosystemsSri Lanka will ban harmful fish like Piranha and Snakehead to protect freshwater life. The government also held a fishing event to raise awareness and promote eco-tourism around local reservoirsBy PTI Published Date - 22 September 2025, 03:45 PMColombo: The Sri Lankan government on Monday said it will soon ban the rearing of invasive fish varieties in a bid to protect fragile freshwater ecosystems. The regulations, to be gazetted shortly, will prohibit the possession, transportation, breeding and sale of invasive fish varieties such as Piranha, Knife Fish, Alligator Gar and Redline/Giant Snakehead, the Fisheries Ministry said. “We are trying to create public awareness about the dangers posed to ecosystems when ornamental fish are released into reservoirs. He said the Snakehead variety had multiplied significantly and proved difficult to capture as their sharp teeth cut through fishing nets.