Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) has again denied it is behind the blackchin tilapia outbreak, however critics may not be fully assuaged as it cited findings from its own investigation into the invasive fish scourge, rather than that of a third party.
On Thursday, local fishermen in Samut Songkhram filed a lawsuit with Bangkok South Civil Court against CPF, seeking over 2.4 billion baht in compensation.
The lawsuit accuses the company of failing to prevent the blackchin tilapia, which the company imported from Ghana in 2010 for breeding research at its development centre in Amphawa district, from invading local waterways, according to a source.
CPF said on Friday that it set up a fact-finding committee to probe the matter from when the idea was first floated in 2006 until a decision was made to scrap the research in early 2011. CPF stated that it was not the culprit behind the outbreak.
To dispel misconceptions and advance societal awareness, CPF said it is prepared to seek recourse in the legal system to establish the truth and refute any claims made against it.
While the company is confident it is not the cause of the blackchin tilapia outbreak, it said it acknowledges the importance of the issue.
As a result, CPF has taken aggressive steps in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to alleviate the suffering of the general public and has actively supported efforts to find solutions with all relevant sectors, it said in a statement.
The company's efforts include supporting the purchase of 2 million kilogrammes of blackchin tilapia to process them for fish products and supporting the government and communities by releasing 200,000 predatory fish.
In the past, the company has delivered 70,000 white sea bass to government agencies and communities in several provinces. It has organised fishing activities on 30 occasions in 14 provinces, catching blackchin tilapia, the statement added.