Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) has named Fisheries Department Director-General Bancha Sukkaew as one of two officials who are aware of the company’s import of 2,000 Blackchin tilapia fish in 2010, the associated research project and the delivery of preserved fish carcasses in jars to the department, according to the House committee probing the rapid spread of the fish.
Dr. Wayo Asavaroongruang, chair of the House committee, said yesterday that CPF’s chief of research and breeding of aquatic species, Premsak Wanatsunthorn, did not appear before the committee, but sent a 4-page report instead.
The report detailed the import of the fish on December 22nd, 2010 and the deaths of all except 50 fish within three weeks. The report also mentioned the burial of the fish and the fact that they were covered with lime at the end of the research project and that the company had notified two fisheries officials and delivered preserved fish carcasses in jars to them.
Dr. Wayo said one of the officials is Bancha Sukkaew, the incumbent director-general, who was then a C7 official attached to the Legal Affairs Division.
Bancha has, however, denied that they received the preserved fish from CPF.
Dr. Wayo said the House committee will not invite CPF representative to appear before them again, but is open to hearing their side of the story at any time.
Meanwhile, opposition MPs have demanded that the government adds addressing the current proliferation of Blackchin tilapia to the national agenda and that the problem must be dealt with earnestly and quickly, before the non-indigenous species spreads throughout the country, destroying the ecological system and other aquatic species in watercourses.
Yesterday, the House of Representatives held a debate on Blackchin tilapia, in response to a verbal motion, jointly submitted by two Move Forward MPs, Nattapong Sumanotham of Samut Sakhon and Nattacha Boonchaiinsawat of Bangkok, and Democrat MP Pithakdet Dejdecha of Nakhon Si Thammarat. Both Samut Sakhon and Nakhon Si Thammarat provinces are currently facing a serious threat from the invasive fish species.
During the debate, Natthapong said that he doubts that the government is treating the spread of Blackchin tilapia seriously, citing the empty promises by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to treat the problem as part of the national agenda and to use the Central Fund to support fishermen in catching the fish.
The fish have now spread to 17 provinces and may soon spread to all 77, he said, as he urged both the prime minister and Agriculture Minister Thammanat Prompao to stop treating the problem cosmetically, but to tackle the problem by designating a governmental agency to take charge.
Democrat MP Phitakdet said, meanwhile, that there is still a question mark over whether the import of 2,000 Blackchin tilapia by a private company or the smuggling of the fish from abroad is responsible for their rapid spread.
Bangkok MP Nattacha said the prime minister promised a week ago to provide the truth to the public about who is responsible for the spread of the fish and he expects to hear from the prime minister by today.
