PUBLISHED: 7 Aug 2024 at 05: 57
The controversial blackchin tilapia bass problem has become a legal problem that is currently being looked into by the courts, according to Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Thamanat Prompow.
At a Tuesday event promoting pla ra ( fermented fish ) with blackchin tilapia as an ingredient, Capt. Thamanat made the comments.
He stated that the ministry would n’t make any public announcements about the Supreme Administrative Court’s legal procedures until they were finished, including the results of its investigation.
He suggested that the Fisheries Department should thoroughly distribute any information that it does publicly. Capt. Thamanat did state that his government is currently waiting for Ghanaian bass DNA results to determine the origin of the intrusive non-native fish’s spread in 17 provinces ‘ waters.
American fish species known as blackchin fish.
In Thai waters, they have disrupted local ecosystems, competing with local seafood species for food.
Capt. Thamanat stated earlier on Monday that a person suspected of being responsible for the spread of the bass had been identified, but he did not provide a brand.
He also promised to give the Department of Fisheries a press conference to release the findings of the investigation, but he changed his mind on Tuesday citing administrative issues.
The government declared a full-fledged warfare against blackchin fish last quarter, and it just approved a 450 million baht for its management.
Buying the bass above market value and encouraging its use are among the measures to reduce its spread.
Additionally, there is a 15-baht per kilogram bank for the purchase of the mysterious fish.
After the invasive species has been completely eradicated, the department’s chief executive, Bancha Sukkaew, stated that his office has developed plans to recover the area’s natural structure by releasing water fingerlings into the nation’s natural waterways.
Blackchin fish