Deadly piranhas may have been released into Thai waters  

Bangkok - Thai authorities warned that piranhas may have been released into Bangkok's waterways, as dealers of the flesh-eating fish dumped their stashes to avoid a crackdown on trade in exotic species.

But specimens of the ferocious South American fish have yet to be found in the teeming city's rivers or canals, and experts reportedly advised against panic as it was unlikely the fish could thrive in Bangkok's polluted waters.

Last year when police launched a crackdown on unregistered exotic animal sales, police seized 112 piranhas and threatened legal action against traders, but owners and breeders of the fish were never found, police Colonel Wichit Nanthawong said.

Only eight piranhas have been seized this year and no owners have been located, but Wichit said the continuing crackdown may be prompting breeders to flush the piranhas out of their inventory.

"It causes concern that the owners might be scared to face penalties and instead dump the fish into waterways," he told AFP.

"Thais, especially children, often swim in the rivers or canals. It would be frightening if those fish are dumped."

In the Bangkok Post, Wichit added: "Especially men should cover themselves well, otherwise they could be sorry for the rest of their lives."

Chirdsak Vongkamolchoon, director of the Fish Trade Inspection Section, was cited by the English-language daily that fish buyers may unknowingly release piranhas' eggs into the water system when cleaning their tanks, and that the fish could survive in the country's waters.

Other experts said however that the fish would have less chance of surviving in the polluted waters of Bangkok's Chao Phraya River and smaller canals, and preferred a dense forest ecosystem such as that found in southern Thailand.

-- AFP News

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