CAN AN INVASIVE FISH SPECIES BE NATURALIZED?

CAN AN INVASIVE FISH SPECIES BE NATURALIZED? My fellow Filipinos, in theory, an invasive fish species will always be an invasive species no matter what. According to Microsoft Copilot, “An invasive fish species is a type of fish that is not native to a particular ecosystem and whose introduction causes, or is likely to cause, harm to the environment, economy, or human health. These species can spread rapidly and compete with native fish for resources, potentially leading to the decline or extinction of native species”. By that definition, there is no question that Tilapia is an invasive fish species. By all accounts, it is very clear that Tilapia has already caused the decline of native fish species in Philippine lakes and rivers, but it is still not clear whether it has caused the extinction of native species or not. True to the nature of invasive fish species, Tilapia has reproduced quickly wherever they have invaded, and always in huge numbers. Even if they are invasive however, Tilapia is considered tasty by many people, and for that reason, it has become a popular choice as a fish dish. It is also for that reason that Tilapia as a species has already gained sufficient economic value, providing livelihood to many fish farmers and contributing to the diet of many people. Regardless of the scientific facts, most of us Filipinos are not aware that Tilapia is an invasive species. Instead, most of us think that Tilapia is a native species. That is so because Tilapia has been in our local waters for so many decades, perhaps for almost a hundred years already. According to fisheries expert Romualdo Pol of the BFAR, there is already a growing notion that Tilapia has already become a “naturalized” fish species, because it is already generally accepted, and because it has already created its own economic value. Nonetheless, being a “naturalized” foreign species still sounds an oxymoron. Given all that background information, it appears that the government now finds itself in a damn if they do, damn if they don’t situation. If the government declares that Tilapia is still an invasive fish species up to now, it has no choice but to take the necessary actions to exterminate and remove these from our local waters. If the government does that, it will destroy the livelihood of many fishermen and deprive many households of an affordable source of food. If, however, the government will legally declare that Tilapia is already a “naturalized” fish species, meaning that is no longer an invasive species, then it could still endanger the native species, knowing that invasive species eat the eggs and fingerlings of the latter. How do we end this dilemma? I do not have the answer myself, and all that I could think of right now is to ask the Office of the President (OP) to create an inter-agency committee to resolve this question. The lead agency for this could be the Secretary of the DENR, assisted by the Secretaries or Heads of NEDA, DTI, DA and BFAR. Many other countries have declared an all-out war on Tilapia as an invasive species. Do they know something that we don’t? Your friend, IKE SENERES/11-18-2024/Visit my blog senseneres.blogspot.com