The Fisheries Department is in hot water again over conflicting DNA test results involving blackchin tilapia found in canned products.
The agency commissioned laboratory tests in a bid to address public suspicion following a new round of the tilapia controversy last May, when a consumer who bought canned mackerel found fish chunks resembling blackchin tilapia and posted photos of the dubious product on Facebook. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) later confiscated more than 12,000 cans from the factory in Samut Sakhon and charged the owner with mislabelling the products.
One of the cans was obtained by BioThai, a non-profit group advocating for food safety and sustainability, which had it independently tested. Earlier this week, the group revealed test results confirming the presence of blackchin tilapia, while the department said its own samples contained sardine and plain tilapia.
The conflicting findings create the impression that the department is attempting to downplay blackchin contamination, perhaps in the hope of easing public anxiety. It has shown little enthusiasm in identifying those responsible.
Yet such discrepancies, while disappointing, come as little surprise given how the department has handled the contamination issue from the beginning. Aquatic farm operators in Samut Songkhram, Samut Sakhon and other provinces have criticised the agency for failing to take proactive measures to contain the problem.
Initially, the department launched an incentive programme to buy the invasive species for 1-2 baht per kilogramme and even proposed using biological controls, such as predators or genetically modified fish, to curb its spread. Now, there appears to be no action at all. The spread of the invasive species, which drew public attention two years ago after fish farmers complained about blackchin tilapia contamination, may have faded from media headlines, but fish farmers continue to struggle.
At times, the Fisheries Department has simply distanced itself from the controversy, leaving affected villagers to find their own solutions. Villagers have sued Charoen Pokphand Foods, which imported blackchin tilapia for research into improving tilapia species at its Samut Songkhram-based laboratory in the early 2000s, seeking compensation.
The agro-industrial company, meanwhile, has sued BioThai for defamation, accusing the group of spreading inaccurate information. While villagers, civic groups and companies turn to the courts for justice, the Fisheries Department has done little.
Meanwhile, a prominent scholar has urged society to reconsider consuming this invasive species, which he claims is "edible, if not savoury". Promoting it as a cheap source of protein, the scholar posted photos of processed blackchin tilapia products, including deep-fried fish and fried dumplings, being sold at a market in Samut Songkhram. He argued that consumption is the only way to reduce the invasive fish population.
Such efforts, viewed by critics as an attempt to whitewash the problem, miss the point and, if anything, raise serious concerns.
The scholar must not overlook the fact that the alien species threatens the country's ecosystem. If its spread is allowed to continue, Thailand risks losing biodiversity, which could lead to long-term economic damage.
Thailand cannot continue with "business as usual" regarding blackchin tilapia. The Fisheries Department must wake up and fulfil its duty by taking stronger, more effective action against invasive species.
