Invasive Fish Used to Make Certified Fish Sauce

SAMUT SONGKHRAM, Nov 4 (TNA) -  A unique fish sauce made from the invasive blackchin tilapia and produced by inmates in Samut Songkhram province will hit the market in November.

Certified as an OTOP (One Tambon One Product) by the Muang District Community Development Office, the "Hub Phoei Fish Sauce" offers a sustainable solution to an ecological problem while providing job skills.

The project is a collaboration between the Samut Songkhram Central Prison, the Provincial Fisheries Office, and Charoen Pokphand Foods Plc (CPF), an agro-industrial and food conglomerate. Prison superintendent Manit Noothet noted it turns the invasive fish into a product while training inmates for life after release.

Provincial Fisheries Chief Wirat Sanitmajjaro stated the initiative helps reduce the wild population of the blackchin tilapia, generates income for the community, and ensures the fish's sustainable use.

The product uses the fish and local "Samut salt," meeting OTOP standards. Wassana Khwaiphan, Provincial Community Development Officer, said the certification will help boost the grassroots economy. -819 (TNA)