Samut songkhram: The People's Party held a press conference regarding the Central Administrative Court's ruling on the black-chinned tilapia and the request to declare Samut Songkhram Province a disaster zone.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Natcha Boonchaiinsawas, an MP of the People's Party, along with other People's Party MPs including Mr. Boonlert Saengphan (Samut Prakan Province), Mr. Anupap Likit-amnuaychai (Samut Songkhram Province), Ms. Narumas Piambandit (Chonburi Province), and Mr. Natthapong Sumanothum (Samut Sakhon Province), discussed the Central Administrative Court's order concerning the black-chinned tilapia and the declaration of Samut Songkhram Province as a disaster zone.
Mr. Natcha emphasized that the People's Party will closely monitor the progress of the black-chinned tilapia case. The Central Administrative Court has already issued an order with specific guidelines for implementation. If the relevant agencies do not appeal the order, it will move to the enforcement phase. In addition to the provinces listed in the court order, there are 19 other provinces mentioned in the Department of Fisheries' document. The People's Party will need to follow up on how the relevant agencies will proceed and what measures will be taken to compensate those affected in these areas. A civil lawsuit to claim damages from a private entity will also be closely monitored.
Currently, a ruling is awaited on September 14th to determine whether a class-action lawsuit is viable. A significant number of people, particularly farmers, have been affected by the black-chinned tilapia problem, suffering substantial losses. If a class-action lawsuit proceeds, the Lawyers Council of Thailand will play a key role in assisting affected individuals, allowing them to access the justice system and collectively claim compensation. Pursuing individual lawsuits could create significant time and expense burdens. Clarification from the September 14th ruling will be crucial in determining the course of legal action and assistance for those affected.
Mr. Boonlert stated that the recent news was a good pilot project for Samut Songkhram Province, but 19 other provinces need to be declared disaster zones. He confirmed that the black-chinned tilapia problem has been causing hardship for many years, and Samut Prakan Province has not neglected this issue. He requested the Department of Fisheries to review the declaration of disaster zones, as the criteria for inspecting the number of black-chinned tilapia may not meet the requirements or adequately cover the areas. He emphasized the need for affected citizens to have their areas declared disaster zones and receive compensation.
Mr. Anupap highlighted that the Administrative Court's ruling is a positive milestone for farmers who raise fish. The ruling was divided into two parts: 1) an order for the Department of Fisheries to implement measures to resolve the black-chinned tilapia problem within 180 days, which will need monitoring, and 2) an order for the Minister of Interior to instruct the Governor of Samut Songkhram Province to declare the province a disaster zone, allowing farmers to receive compensation. He hopes that Samut Songkhram and other provinces will follow the same standard, empowering government agencies with direct responsibility and authority to declare disaster zones and provide compensation, alleviating hardship. Measures to eliminate, prevent, and control the problem are the responsibility of the Department of Fisheries, and the government's policies will be monitored to ensure they support these measures appropriately for each area's context.
Ms. Narumat noted that despite the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration declaring the area a disaster zone two years ago, no province has declared a disaster zone despite meeting the criteria, except for Samut Songkhram Province recently. She observed that many provinces are hesitant to declare a disaster zone for fear of not meeting the criteria. In Chonburi Province, the outbreak is not in aquaculture areas but in canals and open sea areas, making it difficult to assess damage criteria. However, local fishermen have lost income due to the black-chinned tilapia consuming natural resources, and funds outside established guidelines can be utilized in such cases, though no province has declared a disaster zone.
Mr. Nattapong stated that affected fishermen have received compensation, which is a budgetary burden the government must bear, and the perpetrators must be brought to justice. However, the use of the budget to resolve this issue must be transparent.