To: Mr. Dhanin Chearavanont, Senior Chairperson of Charoen Pokphand Group (CP Group)
Mr. Soopakij Chearavanont, Chairperson and Board Member of Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CPF)
We, farmers and community members from 19 provinces who have been negatively affected by the spread of blackchin tilapia, present this letter to CPF, in its capacity as the only private company that has imported blackchin tilapia into Thailand. We ask CPF to take responsibility for the spread of blackchin tilapia, which started from seven canals connected to or nearby to CPF’s Yisan Farm at the end of 2011 to 2012. By now the range of blackchin tilapia has expanded to 19 provinces. The details of the case have been demonstrated by the subcommittee set up by the House of Representatives and the Department of Fisheries to consider the cause of the problem and potential solutions. Importing these blackchin tilapia into the Kingdom of Thailand for the purpose of research and breeding has had severe repercussions. We call on CP Group and CPF to recognize the following points:
1) We ask CP Group and CPF to respect the law and adhere strictly to the principles of biosafety. If you import an alien species, you must do so only following the principles and under the conditions permitted for importing aquatic animal species, as designated by the relevant committees on biosafety and biodiversity.
2) CPF made a statement at the end of 2024 that in the third quarter alone the company’s profits reached 7.3 billion baht. In its capacity as a public company, CP should redistribute some of these profits back to society to address problems like the spread of blackchin tilapia or other issues, for example PM 2.5 emissions.
3) As a corporation that has economic and political roles both in Thailand and at the international level, CPF and CP group should adjust their approach to social engagement. Criticism of the company ought to be received in a positive way; the company should not respond by filing lawsuits against people or organizations that offer critique, with the goal of preventing these groups from sharing their views.
The spread of blackchin tilapia is a national problem and is “the worst instance of destruction of ecosystems in the history” of Thailand. At present this problem still has not been conscientiously addressed, and these problems may multiply and become even more drastic in the future. This problem may lead to severe environmental harms and food security challenges at the regional level. We therefore call for the company and the business conglomerate, which have enormous profits, not to remain indifferent but rather to cooperate with the relevant agencies to address this problem with expediency.
We make these points to the senior chairperson of Charoen Pokphand Group, the Chairperson of the Board of Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited, and all the Board Members – many of whom used to have senior roles in the government – and ask that you perform your duties to ensure good governance of the company. We ask that you participate in addressing this problem conscientiously and sincerely.
With respect,
Mr. Panya Doktong
As a representative of the network of people negatively affected by the spread of blackchin tilapia
Monday, 13 January, 2025
