The Sakon Nakhon Freshwater Fisheries Research and Development Center is preparing to breed 12 million aquatic animals for distribution to various water sources to support community water bodies.
On 11 March 2026, Mr. Marut Rukaewma, Director of the Sakon Nakhon Freshwater Fisheries Research and Development Center, revealed that the center plans to produce Nile tilapia and sex-reversed tilapia fry using natural mating methods. They pair one male fish with two females in cages measuring 5x8x1 meters, with 12 cages per pond. There are two ponds, each 0.75 rai in size. Eggs are collected by gently tapping the mother fish's mouth every 10 days.
In each egg collection cycle, they typically obtain 20,000 to 100,000 eggs or fry. After collecting eggs from the tilapia, they place them in incubation trays to develop from stages 1 to 4 into embryos, then to stage 5 for rearing in earthen ponds. After about 45 days, the fry reach 2-3 centimeters in length, ready for sale or distribution to community water bodies as part of their mission.
To produce male sex-reversed tilapia, the process is done at stage 5 fry by feeding them hormone-mixed food containing synthetic 17-alpha methyltestosterone for 21 days. This results in 2-3 centimeter-sized male fry ready for distribution.
For the fiscal year 2026/2027, the center plans to produce a total of 12 million aquatic animals, including 5 million shrimp and over 7 million fish such as Nile tilapia, carp, and whitebait. These will be released into shared water bodies such as Nong Han, Nam Un, Nam Phung, irrigation sources, and community water bodies upon request. Production will be scheduled seasonally.