PUBLISHED: 7 Oct 2024 at 17: 22
The Department of Fisheries is developing “pla ra,” or fermented bass sauce, to turn blackchin tilapia into a novel method to remove them from Thailand’s waters.
The office will work with local communities in affected areas to practice caught blackchin fish into the well-known eastern spice in an effort to stop the spread of the invasive species, which poses a menace to commercially-valued fish stocks in at least nine provinces, according to department head Bancha Sukkaew.
According to him, Akkara Prompow, the deputy minister of agriculture and cooperatives, has requested that the office take proactive measures to reduce the effect of the aggressive fish on the economies of the affected regions.
The plan, he said, aims to remove at least 200, 000 kg of blackchin fish from lakes in Chumphon, Phetchaburi, Samut Prakan, Samut Songkhram, Prachin Buri, Ratchaburi, Chon Buri, Rayong and Nonthaburi regions.
The tools needed to make army ra will each get 245,000 baht from the sign-up communities. In total, the department may manage 4.9 million ringgit to the system, said Mr Bancha. Twenty populations had signed off, to date.
Phichaya Chainak, chairman of the Fisheriees Industrial Technology, Research and Development Division (FTDD), said spiced fish items, such as trained army baba and powdered army ra, are not only commonly consumed in Thailand, but also exported to markets in different Asean countries, China, the European Union, the Middle East and the United States.
According to Ms. Phichaya, adding blackchin tilapia to the pla ra will not only help stop the aggressive fish from spreading, but it will also increase regional economies and encourage community involvement.
Bancha, the head of the department, expressed confidence that this program will help to prevent the spread of alien species, increase local seafood items ‘ price, and promote grassroots economic growth.