Merit-making practice prompts environmental concern

The Department of Fisheries has expressed concern about the discharge of water creatures as a means of earning money and urged people to consider the effects on nearby communities more critically.

Buddhists frequently consider releasing water animals into safe water sources like rivers and canals, particularly on special events like Songkran.

But, fish department’s key Bancha Sukkaew yesterday warned that what are intended to be acts of kindness pose a threat to the natural harmony, as the transfer of these “alien species” can have an unexpected effects.

He advised releasing huge fish merely into deep reservoirs or the Mekong River, and fishes prefer to live in filthy waters with slow currents. Russian fish and reptiles are also among the species that are not suitable for being released into the wrong kind of wildlife, he said. He claimed that mysterious species can seriously harm the natural system and demand a lot of money to repair.

Merit-makers who want to release turtles must make certain that they are water turtles rather than tortoises ( land turtles ), which will drown and perish. He claimed that crocodiles have webbed toes, which aid in their swimming, but that their primary characteristics are the same.

Big schools of baby fish should be kept healthy and free of disease, according to those who want to transfer them. He advised that the transfer been carried out in areas with good water quality and in the night or late afternoon.