Invasive Black-Chin Fish Found in Lam Pao Dam
Invasive black-chin tilapia has been discovered in Lam Pao Dam in Kalasin, alarming fish farmers, though authorities suspect deliberate smuggling from central Thailand rather than natural spread. Fisheries officials will begin surveying the
The discovery of black-chin tilapia in Lam Pao Dam has alarmed fish farmers across northeastern Thailand. The Kalasin Provincial Fisheries Office confirmed the appearance of this invasive species, which damages ecosystems in central Thailand's brackish waters, in waters where large-scale tilapia cage farming takes place. Farmers at the Lam Pao Dam Tilapia Cage Cooperative are continuing normal operations but monitoring the situation closely, though they remain calm for now.
Cooperative manager Wuthisak Sitho expressed surprise at the discovery, noting that this species normally lives only in central Thailand's brackish waters and has never been reported in the northeast before. He emphasized that the black-chin tilapia found could not have come from fish currently in the cooperative's cages, as all tilapia and red tilapia stock came from approved hatcheries with strict screening protocols. If natural reproduction had occurred, fish would be found throughout the reservoir starting from upstream sources, not concentrated in just three individuals at one location. Sitho believes the fish was deliberately released by someone who smuggled it from central Thailand directly into Lam Pao Dam.
Despite the concern, Sitho noted a positive aspect: while the species can reproduce and lay eggs, Lam Pao Dam's freshwater environment differs from its native brackish habitat, so survival and breeding rates should remain low and unlikely to cause ecological collapse or market disruption at present.
Kalasin Provincial Fisheries Director Boonthorn Phacharoen revealed urgent response measures beginning September 12, when the Fisheries Department will send experts to establish prevention guidelines. They will conduct comprehensive X-ray scanning of the dam's fish populations across five locations covering upstream, middle, and downstream zones in five districts: Tha Khantho, Nong Kung Si, Huai Mek, Sahat Sakhon, and Muang Kalasin. Operations will be coordinated with wildlife sanctuary officials, administrators, village headmen, and local fishermen, with an urgent call for public help to monitor and eliminate the black-chin tilapia before the situation becomes irreversible.
