What does a fish invasion look like? Ask fishermen in Thailand, where millions of ‘alien’ fish have taken over waters in the Samut Prakan province. Fishermen are complaining the invasive alien fish are literally everywhere in the waters, making it impossible for them to catch other species, according to the Bangkok Post. When female fish are caught, they are found to carry a lot of eggs inside their bodies. When their male counterparts are caught, they too are found to carry eggs in their mouths. The fish species has been identified as the blackchin tilapia.
How it started?
According to fisherman Pisamon Srisin, the locals started seeing blackchin tilapia in Tambon Khlong Dan last month. Now, only they are visible, while other species have almost disappeared, the 75-year-old fisherman complains.
The fish species breeds very fast, according to the president of the Khlong Dan Fishery Association. Thanaporn Jiansuk says that it just takes 22 days “from the egg-laying stage to hatching with as many as 99% of the eggs hatching overall.”
Throughout the country, the fish species could reproduce one million offspring a day. They eat every hour, thus depleting the resources very fast and closing in on the other species. They also feed on young fish, shrimp larvae, and shellfish, which are important fishing products. It comes as no surprise that native species have disappeared from the waters.
13 provinces impacted
As per data from Thailand’s Department of Fisheries, the ‘alien’ fish invasion has broken out in 13 coastal provinces along the Gulf of Thailand including Chanthaburi, Rayong, Samut Prakan, Bangkok, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Ratchaburi, Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Sarat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Songkhla.
The species is native to Ghana and South Africa and was first detected in Thailand in 2012. As per reports, the current invasion is related to a 2010 research project when a private company here imported the species from Africa.
(With inputs from agencies)
Source link : https://www.wionews.com/trending/research-project-goes-wrong-thailand-waters-invaded-by-alien-fish-from-africa-740835
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Publish date : 2024-07-14 17:06:55
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