Blackchin tilapia is a specie of an invasive fish in Thailand, with carnivorous diet, massive appetite, and rapid and unique breeding, making it deadly to the life cycles of Thai local fishes. The fish is also adaptive to different water environment, thriving in both freshwater and brackish water. There are even reports of fishermen catching them in open sea. Recently, blackchin tilapia has spreaded throughout various watercourses of Thailand, with the problem being most concentrated in 16 Provinces, including Bangkok, Samut Songkhram, and Prachuap Khiri Khan.
In response, Pol. Col. Tawee Sodsong, the Minister of Justice, commands the Department of Corrections to take action in solving the problem, by taking and supervising working inmates to catch and cook – catching blackchin tilapias in the areas that has the spread, with further action of preparing them for prison food, eliminating them from Thai watercourses, in cooperation with the administration units of the Provinces, in form of ” Catching Blackchin Tilapia CSR Campaign”, which has already been carried out in some prisons as follows:
On 31 July 2024, Mrs. Jittra Prasertsopha, Director of Samut Songkhram Central Prison, assigned Mr. Prasit Kangwon, Director of Rehabilitation Sub-Bureau and Mr. Witthaya Niamthaisong, Correctional Officer, Experienced Level, and 3 prison officers, to lead the group of 8 working inmates, in cooperation with officers of Samut Songkhram Fisheries Provincial Office, to catch 200 kilograms of blackchin tilapias. The working inmates were closely supervised and instructed not to dive into deep water.
The next day, on 1 August 2024, Mr. Banphot Rattanajan, Director of Prachuap Khiri Khan Provincial Prison, with Ms. Chanyaratch KhamKhom, Director of Rehabilitation Sub-Bureau and Mr. Piyaphol Kangwon, Chief of Bang Nangrom Temporary Prison, and prison officers, led the group of 15 working inmates, in cooperation with officers of Prachuap Khiri Khan Fisheries Provincial Office and the officers from other local governmental agencies, to catch blackchin tilapias in Bang Nangrom Canal, Muang Prachuap Khiri Khan District. The working inmates were closely supervised and instructed not to dive into deep water.
