People’s networks dumped five tonnes of dead blackchin tilapia fish in front of Government House today, demanding that the prime minister address the problem of the invasive species immediately.
They were from 19 provinces including Songkhla, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Samut Songkhram, and Samut Sakhon.
They claim that the presence and uncontrolled breeding of the fish represent the worst environmental disaster in Thailand’s history.
Their peaceful but smelly protest took place as columns of police were deployed to prevent them from reaching the Government House compound.
For some time now, the group has been demanding the establishment of an independent committee to identify and take action against those responsible for importing the non-native species, the elimination of the fish from the country within one year, the rehabilitation of the ecological system and compensation.
According to the natural history portal ‘Animal Diversity Web’, blackchin tilapia (Sarotherodon melanotheron), known in Thailand as “Pla Mor Kang Dam”, are native to West Africa.
They generally reproduce every 22 days, with females laying as many as 900 eggs each cycle, which are incubated by the males.
Blackchin tilapia are also voracious predators, which prey on other fish and have been known to decimate local wildlife, upsetting the delicate ecological balance.
They also wreak havoc on commercial stocks in fish and shrimp farms, consuming fry and roe.
