Tuesday September 3, 2024
Straits Times —
Thailand has netted more than 1.3 million kg of highly destructive blackchin tilapia fish, the government said on Sept 3, as it battles to stamp out the invasive species.
Shoals of blackchin tilapia, which can produce up to 500 fry at a time, have been found in 19 Thai provinces, damaging ecosystems in rivers, swamps and canals by preying on small fish, shrimp and snail larvae.
As well as the ecological impact, the government is worried about the effect on the kingdom’s crucial fish-farming industry.
About 1,332,000kg of blackchin tilapia were caught from February to Aug 28 – 590,840kg from natural water sources and 743,550kg from breeding ponds, Mr Nattacha Boonchaiinsawat, vice-president of a parliamentary committee set up to tackle the spread of the fish, told AFP.