Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Thamanat Prompow has cautioned the Department of Fisheries not to release further information about the controversial blackchin tilapia fish issue, saying it has become a legal matter under court consideration.
Capt Thamanat made the comments at an event on Tuesday promoting pla ra (fermented fish) with blackchin tilapia as an ingredient.
He said the ministry would not release any information to the public, including its investigation results, until legal procedures being carried out by the Supreme Administrative Court were complete.
He suggested that if the Fisheries Department does disseminate any information publically, then it does so carefully. But Capt Thamanat did say his ministry is now waiting for fish DNA results from Ghana, which will help find the root cause of the spread of the invasive non-native fish in the waterways of 17 provinces.
Blackchin tilapia is an African fish species.
In Thai waterways, they have disrupted native ecosystems, competing with native fish species for sustenance.
Earlier on Monday, Capt Thamanat said an individual believed responsible for the spread of the fish had been identified, but he did not give a name.
He also said he would assign the Department of Fisheries to hold a press conference to reveal investigation findings, but he changed his mind on Tuesday, citing judicial concerns.
Last month, the government declared an all-out war on blackchin tilapia and recently approved 450 million baht to control the fish.
Measures to control its spread include buying the fish above market price and promoting its consumption.
A fund to purchase the alien fish at 15 baht per kilogramme is also included.
Bancha Sukkaew, chief of the Department of Fisheries, said his department has drawn up plans to restore the local ecological system by releasing freshwater fingerlings into the country's natural waterways after the invasive species has been eradicated.
Blackchin tilapia