BANGKOK, March 19 (TNA) – The Department of Fisheries has announced plans to eliminate an additional 3 million kilograms of the invasive blackchin tilapia.
This initiative is part of an ongoing effort to combat the fish’s proliferation, which has disrupted native ecosystems.
The department has been actively working on a seven-pronged approach to address the blackchin tilapia problem, aiming to remove the fish from the ecosystem. This includes introducing predator fish, promoting the use of the fish for consumption, and conducting research on chromosome manipulation to induce sterility in the tilapia.
“We have made significant progress in our research, successfully producing sterile male fish (4n) and testing their ability to mate with normal female fish (2n) in controlled environments,” said Bancha Sukkaew, Director-General of the Department of Fisheries.
To date, the department has removed over 3.5 million kilograms of blackchin tilapia from the ecosystem. The fish’s spread has been contained from 19 provinces to 16, with population density now classified as low to moderate.
The Department of Fisheries has submitted a request to the Budget Bureau for additional funding to support the eradication efforts. This funding will be used to remove the targeted 3 million kilograms of fish, aiming to curb further spread.
Representatives from 19 affected provinces have called for further government action, including the establishment of an independent committee to investigate the source of the infestation.
“We are considering escalating our demands for government action,” said Teera Wongcharoen, former vice president of the National Farmers Council. “The situation is worsening, but the Department of Fisheries claims the severity of the infestation has decreased.”
The farmers are demanding an independent investigative committee composed of government officials, affected farmers (with a majority representation), independent academics, and environmental experts. They plan to stage protests after the upcoming no-confidence debate against the prime minister, until a concrete solution is reached. -819 (TNA)
