Appeal Court upholds class action tilapia damages suit against CPF

The Appeal Court has upheld the Bangkok South Civil Court’s decision last year to accept a class action lawsuit against Charoen Pokphand Foods Plc (CPF) seeking 2.4-billion-baht compensation for damage to the livelihoods of farmers and to the environment from the spread of invasive blackchin tilapia fish.

The court's ruling was read out in the Bangkok South Civil Court on Monday. The  appeal was filed by CPF and its executive board.

The Appeal Court said local villagers had the legitimate right to file their complaint as a class action lawsuit.

The Appeal Court also said it will rule on Nov 30 if the lawsuit should be an environmental case. CPF requested the consideration of the court on the environmental aspect of the matter.

The class action lawsuit was initiated in 2024 by 10 fishermen and fish breeders in Samut Songkhram province who complained they had been detrimentally affected by the spread of invasive blackchin tilapia, a species native to Africa.

They blamed CPF for this, saying the company was suspected of first importing the fish into Thailand for study.

The complainants' legal counsel, Somchai Ameen of the Lawyers Council of Thailand, said he expected the Bangkok South Civil Court to start hearing witness testimony next year and to also make a ruling next year.

The complainants sought 2.4 billion baht in compensation for the loss of income from fish breeding and small-scale fish farming. The Bangkok South Civil Court accepted the class action suit in March last year.

Early this month, the Central Administrative Court ordered the Department of Fisheries and its director-general to proceed with efforts to eliminate invasive blackchin tilapia from Thai waterways and the Interior Ministry to declare Samut Songkhram a tilapia disaster area, releasing funds for compensation.