Director-General of the Department of Fisheries reveals 6 urgent measures to solve the problem of “Black-chinned Tilapia” spreading severely in 16 provinces nationwide, along with proposing criminal and administrative penalties.
Today (17 July 2014), Mr. Bancha Sukkaew, Director-General of the Department of Fisheries, along with Mr. Kongphop Amponsak, an expert in aquatic animal genetics, and Ms. Thiwarat Thelingkiatlila, an expert in freshwater fisheries biodiversity, jointly held a press conference on solving the problem of black-chinned tilapia and introduced a variety of menus made from black-chinned tilapia at the Anan Conference Room, Department of Fisheries.
Mr. Bancha Sukkaew, Director-General of the Department of Fisheries, said that the situation of the spread of the black-chinned tilapia in Thailand has been found since 2017. The black-chinned tilapia is native to Africa. It can lay eggs well in brackish water, about 30-900 eggs, depending on the mother fish. Importantly, it can lay eggs all year round, every 22 days, which has an impact on native aquatic animals because it has destroyed the ecosystem.
The country currently has outbreaks from 14 provinces to 16 provinces, including Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Phetchaburi, Chanthaburi, Rayong, Chachoengsao, Ratchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkhla, Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi, and Bangkok.
By Lt. Col. Thammanat Prompao, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, who saw the suffering of fishermen and ecological problems, he has urgently ordered the appointment of a committee to solve the problem of the spread of black-chinned tilapia and issued 6 important measures: 1. Control and elimination 2. Release of predatory fish such as sea bass and eel 3. Utilization
by using it as food, such as stir-fried pork with curry paste, fried fish cakes, sun-dried fish, nam ya khanom jeen, tom yam, chu chee, or real fish sauce from black chin tilapia. 4. Surveying and monitoring natural water sources. 5. Creating awareness and participation. And 6. In the long term, the Department of Fisheries will conduct a research project on inducing the 4n chromosome in black chin tilapia or sterilization to control the spread within 3 years.
Regarding the social trend that raises questions about the origin of the black chin tilapia outbreak, the Director-General of the Department of Fisheries stated that previously, a company had legally requested permission to import the fish into Thailand for research and breed improvement. Later, the company canceled the research and did not inform the Department of Fisheries about the destruction of samples according to the specified conditions. From the inspection of the company’s breeding area during the outbreak in 2017 by the Department of Fisheries officials, it was reported that all samples were destroyed by burying them.
As for the issue that the company confirmed that it had sent 50 fish samples to the Fisheries Department, I would like to confirm that the Fisheries Department has examined the documents or evidence of receiving samples in the sample registration book and the database in the system since the import until now and has not found any evidence of receiving such samples. If the company has evidence, it can send it in for confirmation to jointly investigate what is the cause of the current black chin tilapia outbreak.
When reporters asked why the Fisheries Department had left the research company to destroy the experimental fish in 2011 for so many years until the area was built into a building, the Director-General of the Fisheries Department stated that the company did not notify officials to destroy it at that time. As for whether the company was guilty or not, the conditions at that time were clear that if it did, it would not be allowed again.
As for other offenses, the fisheries law at that time did not specify them. As a member of the new fisheries law committee, I will write it clearly that if the conditions are not followed, there will be criminal and administrative penalties. However, at this time, we cannot answer whether it is an offense or not.
In yesterday’s meeting, the Minister of Agriculture urgently ordered the Department of Fisheries to set up black-chinned tilapia purchasing points in provinces where outbreaks have been found. The project has been integrated with the government and private sectors to purchase black-chinned tilapia at 15 baht per kilogram to motivate public participation. It is expected to begin operations within the next week.
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