Last Wednesday, over 1,400 fishermen in Samut Songkram province initiated legal action against government agencies and agro titan Charoen Phokphand Foods (CPF) over the invasive fish species blackchin tilapia.
The fishermen are seeking over 2.4 billion baht in compensation for economic losses caused by the blackchin tilapia, which have infested many national waterways, including aquatic farms.
But this is just the beginning. From this week on, fish farmers and villagers of affected communities in 18 other provinces are expected to file similar lawsuits.
These legal disputes are a collective response to the blackchin tilapia fiasco that first grabbed headlines in June.
The bringing of charges is not only justified but long overdue, with fishermen in Samut Songkram province reportedly complaining about the alien species since 2012. This is two years after CPF received a legal permit to import blackchin tilapia from West Africa for research purposes.
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) conducted a probe in 2017 and found that the Department of Fisheries, which granted only permits to import this alien species, "failed in its duty to ensure that the agro giant had abided by the rules".
It has been disconcerting for the public to learn that the Department of Fisheries, a regulator of the National Biodiversity Committee on Aquatic Species, failed to impose necessary guardrails or effectively monitor private research involving the non-native fish.
The lawsuit is a challenge for CPF, a past recipient of numerous sustainability awards, including the Sustainability Disclosure Award 2023, which was presented at an event conducted by the Thaipat Institute.
Since the bad press surfaced in June, CPF has contributed to reducing the blackchin tilapia's environmental impact by purchasing 2 million kilogrammes of the fish and processing it into fish products.
But CPF has refuted all accusations that it is responsible for the spread of the invasive fish. Moreover, the corporation has recently filed a defamation case against the director of Biothai, Witoon Lianchamroon, who has openly blamed CPF for leaking this alien species into the wild.
No matter the allegations and rebuttals, CPF must help clear the air. In doing so, it needs to show tangible evidence of its role, as there are crucial discrepancies between CPF and the Department of Fisheries that need clarification.
The corporation has insisted that all 2,000 blackchin tilapia imported in December 2010 died in a short period inside one of its laboratory premises and that their remains were securely disposed of. It claimed it had submitted 50 fish carcasses to the agency, but the latter has remained adamant that it had not seen or received anything to that effect.
CPF conceded that, instead of submitting a report to the department per project regulations, it had "verbally informed" the agency of what it had done. Last week, the corporation announced it would launch its own investigation into the blackchin tilapia issue. Such an attempt may not quell doubts as the probe does not come from a third party.
The blackchin tilapia lawsuits will be lengthy and gruelling. Most environmental trials in Thailand take five years or more to complete. However, a few things are already evident -- the clear losers are our environment and communities, which will still be affected for many more years.