Thailand battles invasive blackchin tilapia, that is costing the economy US$293 million

Thailand has netted more than 1.3 million kilograms of highly destructive blackchin tilapia fish, the government said on Tuesday, as it battles to stamp out the invasive species.

Shoals of blackchin tilapia, which can produce up to 500 young 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.

Fishing authorities caught 1.3 million kilograms (2.87 million pounds) of blackchin tilapia between February and August 28, according to Nattacha Boonchaiinsawat, the vice-president of a parliamentary committee set up to tackle the spread of the fish.

“We talked to local residents and found out that the spread of tilapia has got worse – they found them in small canals, which was not the case before,” he said.