Fisheries Officials Investigate as Black-Chinned Tilapia Appears Along Pattaya Shores, Urge Public to Help Capture Fish

Fisheries officials are working urgently to investigate reports of black-chinned tilapia appearing along Pattaya shores and calling on the public to help control the invasive species. The department received alerts through social media and from local fishermen, leading relevant agencies to coordinate swiftly with Chachoengsao provincial fisheries office for immediate verification. On May 14, 2025, Mayuri Na Phatthalung, Bang Lamung District fisheries officer, inspected the Na Kluea Bridge area and Pattaya Beach following reports from residents of a sighting two days earlier, though no tilapia were found during the inspection.

Local fishermen reported that after fishing in the area for over a decade, they suddenly encountered large schools of black-chinned tilapia two days prior and caught many using nets, which they dried for consumption before reporting the incident to district fisheries. Officials are preparing comprehensive surveys of both the Na Kluea Bridge area and Pattaya Beach, suspecting the two sightings occurred around the same timeframe.

Black-chinned tilapia are invasive aquatic species capable of surviving in brackish waters along coastlines but have not yet been found in deep ocean areas. The rainy season, when freshwater flows into the sea, may facilitate the fish's dispersal. Previous reports documented the species near Bang Lamung Canal before the situation quieted, only to resurface recently in Pattaya coastal waters.

Mayuri, Bang Lamung District fisheries officer, urges public cooperation: residents may cook or process any caught black-chinned tilapia for consumption as they are safe to eat. However, if small fish are caught and not utilized, authorities request immediate disposal and warn against releasing them back into the sea or natural water sources to help control and prevent the spread of this invasive species in coastal ecosystems.