Over 1.3 million kilograms of destructive blackchin tilapia netted in Thailand as authorities fight to eradicate the species and mitigate its ecological and economic impact. Gulf News
(The Post News)- A concerted effort to combat the scourge of invasive blackchin tilapia, Thailand has netted an astonishing 1.3 million kilograms of the destructive species, with the government declaring its eradication a national priority. The tilapia’s unrelenting march across 19 provinces has left a trail of ecological devastation, ravaging riverine ecosystems, and decimating native fish populations.
Nattacha Boonchaiinsawat, Vice President of the parliamentary committee tasked with tackling the tilapia menace, revealed that the sheer scale of the infestation has worsened, with the fish now found in small canals previously thought to be unaffected. The economic toll has been staggering, with estimated losses exceeding 10 billion baht.
Native to West Africa, the tilapia’s arrival in Thailand’s rivers in 2010, followed by its rapid spread in 2018, has left authorities scrambling to contain the damage. The species’ incredible reproductive prowess, producing up to 500 young at a time, has made it a formidable foe.
As the government urges locals to join the fight, offering 15 baht per kilogram for caught tilapia, a parliamentary investigation seeks to unravel the mystery of the species’ introduction. Suspicions swirl around a Ghanaian company’s alleged importation of the fish in 2010.
In a multi-pronged approach, authorities have designated 75 areas for tilapia sales, released predator species to hunt the fish, and are developing genetically modified tilapia to produce sterile offspring. The UN’s science panel has sounded the alarm, warning of the tilapia’s rapid spread, and the devastating consequences of invasive species globally, with estimated annual damages and lost income exceeding $400 billion.
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