The Department of Fisheries plans to implant microchips into 100 giant catfish in an attempt to use DNA-based techniques to promote breeding, in a species under close watch by conservationists due to falling numbers.
The effort is part of the department's plan to boost the giant catfish population in the Mekong River, where clusters could traditionally be found scattered from Chiang Rai to Ubon Ratchathani, for both conservation and commercial purposes.
Praphan Leepayakun, the department's deputy director-general, on Sunday said giant catfish are the largest scaleless freshwater fish and are considered critically endangered due to accelerating habitat loss.
The giant catfish is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites).
This year, the department is attempting to breed the species with assistance from a pool of aquaculture research and development centres nationwide.
Their aquatic animal genetics research and development divisions will work with the inland fisheries research and development division to carry out the research and will ask the Agricultural Research Development Agency for funds, he said.
The department had great success in 1983 when its research resulted in Thailand becoming the first country in the world to breed giant catfish via artificial insemination. It has been sending more new research to each fishery office for further development.
In addition, the department also stressed the importance of planning breeding based on genetics principles to find a new generation of potential breeders as well as oversee the hatchery to avoid inbreeding and maintain genetic diversity.
