Lawmakers Challenge Fish Department's Smart Shrimp Hatchery Plan
A Democrat MP challenged the Fisheries Department's plan to build six advanced mud crab hatcheries nationwide for 97 million baht, questioning whether the project would actually help struggling shrimp farmers or address Thailand's declining
On September 8, 2026, the House of Representatives considered the fiscal 2027 budget bill valued at 3.78 trillion baht in its second and third readings. Nathapong Sumonthum, a Democrat MP from Samut Sakhon and minority committee member, criticized the Fisheries Department's plan to build an advanced mud crab hatchery. He questioned what makes it "advanced" and whether it would actually reduce production costs or increase yields, asking how the project would improve farmers' livelihoods and by what percentage it would reduce costs or increase productivity.
Sumonthum expressed concern that the department has received unclear answers about how the hatchery addresses the real problems facing shrimp farmers. He noted that six similar facilities are being requested nationwide, totaling 97 million baht, with price variations of up to 747,600 baht between locations in Lopburi and Phatthalung. He questioned whether investing in advanced mud crab hatcheries is truly the most important solution to Thailand's shrimp crisis, noting that Thailand was once the world's leading exporter of black tiger shrimp and white vannamei shrimp but has since been hampered by disease outbreaks and rising production costs.
"I am not saying mud crab farming is unimportant, but the question is whether using the budget this way is correct," Sumonthum said. "We still do not see how it will solve the problem of black tiger shrimp, which have significant export potential. I am uncertain whether you are not addressing this because you fear someone, or because you do not know how to solve it."
