Controlling blackchin tilapia ‘will take three years’

The departments of agriculture will physically change males to partner and produce pregnant offspring.

Controlling blackchin tilapia ‘will take three years’
At a press conference held by the Department of Fisheries on Wednesday, fried blackchin fish are introduced to encourage usage to reduce the population of the aggressive fish. ( Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut )

According to the Department of Fisheries, it will take three times to control the population of aggressive blackchin fish through genetic changes that will result in pregnant sons.

Men blackchin fish may be genetically modified so that they would partner and make pregnant cook, Bancha Sukkaew, the director-general of the department, said on Wednesday.

The ministry will launch at least 250, 000 physically modified men over a period of 15 weeks, starting in December at the latest, he said. According to Mr. Bancha, the technique may significantly reduce the invasive fish’s people in three years.

Apart from the long-term answer, the office is buying blackchin fish from the government at 15 ringgit per kilogramme, compared with business prices of seven to 10 baht, and promoting dishes and fishmeal made from the bass, he said. Additionally, the division will launch predator fish to have blackchin tilapia.

According to Isra News Agency, CP Foods ( CPF), a subsidiary of the Charoen Pokphand agribusiness conglomerate, imported two thousand blackchin tilapia from Ghana in 2010. The Samut Songkhram province-based company had a force to examine the fish for breeding purposes.

Usually the transfer of the varieties is prohibited, but apps for research purposes are permitted on a case-by-case base, said Mr Bancha.

The seafood had been buried within three months of being brought to Thailand, according to CPF, who later informed the office. However, as their population grew, native fish started declining as they afterwards started appearing in nearby waterways.

The Department of Fisheries earlier this month found large numbers of blackchin fishes in Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram and Phetchaburi.

The department’s DNA tests revealed that all the fish were from the same family property.

The seafood are also present in large numbers in 11 other regions: Chanthaburi, Rayong, Chachoengsao, Ratchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkhla, Nakhon Pathom and Nonthaburi.

CPF has claimed that it properly disposed of all the blackchin fishes in 2011 in accordance with local media reviews. &nbsp,

In a report submitted to the House committee on knowledge, technology, research and innovation, the company said it ended its blackchin fish research project because of high mortality rates. The bass were euthanised using nitrogen concentrate, their corpses buried, and preserved specimens submitted to the Department of Fisheries.

The company maintains that the more current pandemic, which was reported to have started in 2017, has not been related to it.

During a press event on Wednesday, Fisheries Director Bancha Sukkaew eats cooked blackfish fish. ( Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut )