Sri Lanka urged people on Saturday to catch and cook invasive fish species, including the giant snakehead and piranhas, that threaten fragile freshwater ecosystems and are now banned.

The Fisheries Ministry launched a nationwide campaign by hosting a fishing competition at a reservoir in central Kurunegala district, where more than 1,000 anglers were instructed to reel in only the introduced predators.

Ministry secretary Kolitha Kamal Jinadasa said the import, sale and transportation of live redline giant snakehead, knife fish, alligator gar and piranha was banned from Saturday.

People who already keep the scarily named breeds in their homes or in private aquariums will also be given three months to register them with authorities.

“It is not easy to catch them with a net, because they

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