By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE PHEU THAI-LED government was today (July 25) cautioned over the possibility that blackchin tilapia, a diehard predator fish, could literally spread out from Thailand to neighbouring countries, thus turning a national ecological crisis into an international one.
During today’s House floor debate on the fast-spawning, gluttonous blackchin tilapia literally feeding on other fish, shrimps and other small aquatic animals in coastal and mangrove waters of 17 provinces, Move Forward MP Natcha Boonchai-insawat said the ecologically destructive fish of an “alien species” could possibly spread out from Thailand to Cambodia and Malaysia sooner than later.
The blackchin tilapia which could survive and spawn in freshwater, seawater and brackish water off the eastern border province of Trat and those in the southern province of Songkhla might possibly invade the natural waters of Cambodia and Malaysia respectively.
Given the fast-invading blackchin tilapia, the neighbouring countries would almost certainly put the blame on Thailand as source of the predator fish, the Move Forward MP said.
Natcha called on the government to immediately take measures to get rid of the “alien” fish otherwise, he said, ecological damage and financial losses currently affecting aquatic farmers and other villagers in the 17 coastal provinces and elsewhere could probably be sustained and aggravated.
In 2010, a batch of 2,000 blackchin tilapia were reportedly imported from Ghana by the giant agro-industrial conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Foods which had run an experimental breeding project in closed ponds in Yisarn subdistrict of Ampawa district of Samut Songkhram.
CPF had earlier claimed to have destroyed all the blackchin tilapia which the firm had imported but the predator fish had been found quickly spreading into nearby waters in the western and upper southern coastal provinces, devouring other fish and shrimps raised by the farmers.
Lawmakers took turns to call on the government to take contingency measures to promptly contain the woes of the aquatic farmers by launching large-scale hunts for the blackchin tilapia by all available kinds of fish nets in all affected waters of the 17 provinces, releasing hunter fish such as sea bass into the waters to get rid of the blackchin tilapia, promoting sales and consumption of the fish nationwide, prohibiting the breeding of the predator fish anywhere and granting cash in damage compensation pay to the affected farmers.
Deputy Agriculture & Cooperatives Minister Attakorn Sirilatthayakorn responded that those measures will be urgently taken by the relevant authorities to contain the aquatic farmers’ woes.
Given an estimated 231 million baht in government funding, the Fisheries Department under care of the Ministry of Agriculture & Cooperatives is offering to buy the blackchin tilapia caught by the farmers or other people for 15 baht per kilo in effort to promote the hunts and sales of the predator fish, Attakorn said.
Another measure involves the sterilisation of the predator fish to terminate their massive breeding, he said.
CAPTION:
Blackchin tilapia fish caught recently in Thailand. Photos: Sanook.com
Also read: Two years in jail for releasing alien fish
UN report exposes dark underbelly of the seafood business
Digital wallet project would not make Pheu Thai a very popular party: Academic
Villagers in central provinces alerted of likely flash floods
Murder-suicide case: Traces of cyanide found in suitcase
