Blackchin tilapia threat surfaces near Bang Saphan port
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin has ordered officials from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources to urgently investigate reports of invasive blackchin tilapia near the Bang Saphan deep-sea port in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, following a tip-off from a local fisherman.
The order came after a Facebook page called Tai Neung Bang Saphan reported a sighting of the alien species on June 21 at a depth of about 12 metres in the port’s navigation channel, located less than a nautical mile off the coast of Bang Saphan district.
Suchart instructed relevant agencies to assess the environmental impact and implement immediate containment measures.
Pinsak Suraswadi, director-general of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR), said the Marine and Coastal Resources Research Centre in the Central Gulf of Thailand conducted a targeted survey on June 22 and 23.
Using specialised light-luring boats during both high and low tides, officials found no blackchin tilapia in the deep-water channel. Instead, they recorded only native marine life, including mullet, needlefish, pufferfish, squid and jellyfish.
Interviews with local fishermen and port authorities revealed, however, a deeper-rooted problem: the invasive fish have been thriving along the nearby coastline for at least seven years.
Prompted by this information, the DMCR expanded its investigation to four nearby coastal sites and confirmed the presence of blackchin tilapia in three of them, while a fourth site — a nearshore coral reef ecosystem — remained unaffected.
A random netting sample at the first site revealed a high population density of 61 blackchin tilapia per 100 square metres. The captured fish had an average length of 13.4cm and an average weight of 68.6g.
The largest specimen weighed 315g. The fish were found co-existing with local species such as marble gobies, rabbitfish and flatheads.
The department is continuing to monitor high-risk areas to protect marine ecosystems and biodiversity, while deploying appropriate preventive measures.
The ministry has urged the public and local fishermen to report any sightings of blackchin tilapia or other invasive species along the coast.
Reports can be made directly to local officials or via the 24-hour forest and marine protection hotline, 1362.