According to Boonchaiinsawat, CPF was asked to provide clarity on a document submitted by the Department of Fisheries. However, instead of attending the meeting last night, CPF sent a letter explaining their inability to show up.
“I would prefer the company use this platform to openly communicate with the public, especially since there’s rising skepticism about the matter,” Boonchaiinsawat asserted.
When probed about the committee’s subsequent steps, Boonchaiinsawat explained that they would draw conclusions based on information from various officials, including representatives from the Fisheries Department and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. Additionally, the Council of State will be invited next week to provide guidance to government agencies on potential legal actions. Various agencies will also be tasked with evaluating the ecological damage inflicted by this invasive species, which has severely impacted numerous farms.
Boonchaiinsawat shed more light on the situation, stating the Fisheries Department had indicated that CPF—the only company sanctioned to import blackchin tilapia in 2010—broke the stipulated permit conditions. Originally, CPF claimed that the fish died within three weeks of their arrival in Thailand. The company was then meant to submit 50 fish carcasses to the department’s lab as evidence. However, an investigation revealed a complete lack of these samples.
“It defies logic to believe that out of 5,000 samples stored from 2007 to 2017, only the 2011 samples would mysteriously vanish during a flood,” Boonchaiinsawat remarked with skepticism.
The subcommittee plans to present their findings to the appropriate agencies for further legal action. In the meantime, CPF has already submitted a comprehensive report to the Higher Education, Science, and Innovation Committee, detailing the procedures they followed in importing 2,000 blackchin tilapia fingerlings from Ghana to Thailand. Premsak Wanuchsoontorn, CPF’s Executive Vice-President for Aquaculture Business, stated that the fish landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport on December 22, 2010. Unfortunately, many of the fish perished during transit, and the remaining 600 arrived in poor health. By January 6, 2011, only 50 fish were still alive.
In response to this unfortunate turn of events, CPF terminated the project by euthanizing the remaining fish with chlorine, then burying their remains with lime on January 7. Premsak assured everyone that CPF had ceased all research-related activities tied to these fish since January 2011 and categorically denied releasing the fish into Thai waterways.
It’s outrageous that CPF didn’t show up to the meeting. If they have nothing to hide, then why avoid it?
Agreed! Their absence speaks volumes about their accountability and transparency.
Or maybe it’s just logistics? Big companies miss meetings sometimes. Let’s not jump to conclusions.
There’s always a convenient excuse, but the lack of those fish samples is highly suspect.
Guys, what if the flood story is actually true? We know natural disasters can mess things up big time.
My farm was heavily impacted by these invasive tilapia. CPF needs to pay for the ecological damage they caused.
I’m sorry to hear that. Have you received any support from local agencies?
None so far. They keep saying they’ll ‘investigate’ but nothing concrete.
But can you be sure it was CPF’s tilapia? Invasive species can come from various sources.
Invasive species destroy native ecosystems! CPF should face legal action for their negligence.
It’s not just CPF. Regulatory bodies should have stricter controls and better monitoring too.
Absolutely right. The government is also to blame here for not ensuring stricter regulations.
The CPF case highlights the need for stricter biosecurity measures in fish importation.
Exactly. This was an accident waiting to happen with how lax the regulations are.
Why are people so quick to blame CPF alone? What about the other officials involved?
Because CPF was the one importing and mishandling the fish. They should bear the brunt of the responsibility.
Sure, but others approved the imports. Shouldn’t they be held accountable too?
Nattacha Boonchaiinsawat’s skepticism is warranted. The loss of those 50 samples needs a thorough investigation.
I can’t believe CPF thinks we’ll buy their ‘flood’ explanation. Something fishy is definitely going on here.
Nice pun, but seriously, who believes a flood could destroy just those samples and nothing else?
These big corporations always get away with ecological harm. Where’s the justice?
Justice is slow but this time it seems like CPF will face some consequences. Hopefully.
This should be a lesson for the future—smarter policies, stricter monitoring, and severe penalties.
Educating the youth about these issues will create informed citizens who advocate for stronger environmental protections.
Absolutely. Would love to see these types of discussions more integrated into school curricula.
People, open your eyes! It’s not just CPF; corrupt officials are part of this mess too.
Everyone should be held accountable—from CPF to the Fisheries Department. Only then can we prevent future disasters.
I hope the legal actions are swift and severe. What CPF did is a betrayal to our agriculture and environment.
Let’s wait for the legal findings first. But this entire incident is indeed troubling.
Hard to believe so many fish just died within weeks. How is that even possible?
Poor conditions during transport could definitely cause a high mortality rate, unfortunately.
Still, it’s suspicious that there are no samples left. Raises a lot of red flags.
What happened to those fish is a tragedy, whether it was negligence or unavoidable.
Whether due to natural disaster or poor management, CPF owes answers to the public.
Interesting how CPF admits to their fish perishing but offers no concrete proof. More oversight is clearly needed.