The government has approved a budget of 98.4 million baht to eliminate an additional 3,000 tonnes of blackchin tilapia in its latest effort to control the invasive fish species.
The latest budget approval is part of the 450-million-baht 2024-2027 framework to tackle the invasive fish species approved by the cabinet in July 2024.
Expenses to follow include a 60-million-baht budget to purchase 3 million kilogrammes of blackchin tilapia at a price of 20 baht per kg for bio-fermentation and processing, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Akkhara Prompow. He said some 10.5 million baht will be used to manage the use of tea waste to eradicate 35,000kg of the species in farms, while another 3 million baht will support the release of 300,000 predatory fish.
A budget of 22 million baht will be spent on producing 3.2 million litres of bio-fermented liquid made from captured blackchin tilapia, and another three million baht will go to providing tools for farmers to tackle the invasive fish. The Department of Fisheries has set up 86 locations to purchase the fish before work begins on restoring and diversifying the ecosystem, said Mr Akkhara.
The blackchin tilapia 2024-2027 framework has so far seen the removal of 3.7 million kilogrammes of the fish from both natural water sources and farm ponds, the release of over 743,000 predatory fish to control the population, and the processing of blackchin tilapia meat for various food items.
The projects also aim to raise awareness and support research on sterilisation and control methods and restore the ecosystem by breeding and releasing diverse aquatic species.
Mr Akkhara said to date, there have been no provinces with a "high" blackchin tilapia population level, or 100 fish per 100 square metres.
There were five provinces at "mid-tier" level, or 11 to 100 fish per 100 sq m, and a further 11 provinces have seen a "low" level, or 1-10 fish per 100 sq m, including Bangkok, which also saw a "mid-tier" blackchin tilapia population level in July 2024, said Mr Akkhara. "This situation has seen positive progress."
The department is also working on compensation schemes for farmers affected by the invasive species.
