ILLEGAL WILDLIFE IMPORTS / CHAO PHRAYA RIVER:

Fears dealers released piranhas into canals

Fish can live, breed in local waterways

BANGKOK: -- There are fears that red piranhas, the fierce little fish renowned for eating flesh that are native to South America, may be inhabiting some parts of Bangkok waterways, after they were believed released by scared exotic fish dealers to elude a crackdown. But fish experts say there is no need to panic.

Police launching raids in the last month say they seized 112 piranhas.

They suspected some fish dealers might have released their stock into canals. ``Let me warn people who live by the river or canals to be careful when going into the water. Especially, men should cover themselves well, otherwise they could be sorry for the rest of their lives,'' Pol Col Wichit Nanthawong told a press conference on the wildlife and wild plant trade held by the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department and World Wildlife Fund, an international conservation group.

So far, the Fisheries Department has not found any of the fish in freshwaters in the country.

Chirdsak Vongkamolchoon, director of the Fish Trade Inspection Section, said some fish buyers might know little about the fish and might release their eggs into freshwater while cleaning fish tanks. That could allow the fish to grow in the country's waters.

Jaranthada Karnasuta, deputy director-general of the Fisheries Department, said the fish are capable of living and breeding here. However, he said their survival depended on competition in the wild, especially against Thai native fish which feed on other fish's eggs.

Chavalit Vithayanon, head of the WWF Nature's Marine and Freshwater unit, said the fish's survival also depended on habitat.

He said piranhas would have less chance of surviving in the Chao Phraya river with its polluted water.

He said piranhas likes to lay eggs in a dense forest ecosystem. As such they would have more of a chance to survive if released in the South.

However, as the fish were aliens, they should not be released into freshwater because no one knew what impact they could have.

Mr Chavalit said Thailand, as a signatory to the Convention on Biodiversity, was obliged to develop regulations to prevent its biodiversity from being contaminated.

The fisheries law should be revised to cope with aquatic alien species.

Mr Jaranthada said the department might require exotic fish traders to register, to control aquatic alien species imported into the country.

--The Post 2004-05-30

Thais on piranha alert

BANGKOK: -- THAI police have issued a warning that flesh-eating piranhas may be lurking in the capital's waterways.

The Bangkok Post newspaper today said illegal stock might have been released into a local river by wildlife dealers.

It quoted police Colonel Wichit Nanthawong as saying: "Let me warn people who live by the river or canals to be careful when going into the water."

None of the fish, native to South America, had yet been found in the network of waterways, the paper said.

But World Wildlife Fund official Chavalit Vithayanon told the Post police raids on wildlife dealers illegally trading piranhas might have inspired others to release their stock.

--Agencies 2004-05-31

Col Wichit had sound advice for anyone tempted to swim in Bangkok's murky waters.

"Especially, men should cover themselves well, otherwise they could be sorry for the rest of their lives," he said

Would anyone in their right mind swim in those sewers?

I would be worried about just falling in!!

I've heard of customized parts, but that's a bit extreme.