During 29 April to 3 May 2024, Thailand International Cooperation Agency or TICA together with the Fisheries Department traveled to Twantay Fisheries Institue in Twantay City, Myanmar, to transport Giant Butter Catfish from Twantay to Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province, Thailand. This fish transportation is one of vital activities under the Thailand – Myanmar Joint Research Project on Production Technology of Fishes of Economic Importance (Giant Butter Catfish) aims to transport 50 Giant Butter Catfish back to Thailand for research purposes, also facilitating technology transfer between both countries.

Giant Butter Catfish or Silonia Silondia is the freshwater fish in the catfish family, in the same family as the Pangasius fish of Thailand. Giant Butter Catfish’s research papers are mostly researched by Indian professors. They inhabit fresh rivers and brackish waters in Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and India, especially in Myanmar. There are popular local food found in rivers such as the Ayeyarwady River and Twantay River. Fishermen also usually catch fish from natural habitats and feed them to grow before selling them.

This fish transportation for researching activity has been cooperated by The Fisheries Department of Thailand and The Fisheries Department of Myanmar since 2020. However, the activity has been suspended due to the outbreak of COVID-19 until May 2024

The transported fish from Twantay was delivered to Ayudhaya Fisheries R&D center for culture, feeding, breeding and biological study, which will help in increasing fish populations and exchanging the result of research, knowledge, and technologies between Thailand and Myanmar after the research succeed.