A government subcommittee investigating the spread of invasive blackchin tilapia fish in Thai waterways will visit the Department of Fisheries on Tuesday to study importation documents and inspect the storage of fish carcasses.
Nattacha Boonchaiinsawat, a Move Forward Party MP for Bangkok and deputy chairman of the subcommittee said on Friday they would review the import procedures for foreign species to determine how stringent the measures are.
Regarding the trade of blackchin tilapia fish from 2013 to 2016, the department's director-general, Bancha Sukkaew, said documents have shown that 11 private companies exported this species of fish from Thailand to 17 countries worldwide, totalling 230,000 fish.
Blackchin tilapia fish were first seen in Thai waterways in 2012, and at that time, they were not registered as prohibited.
According to the Institutional Biosafety Committee, private companies wanting permission to import alien fish species must comply with four conditions, including submitting fin samples.
On Thursday, the subcommittee will also call upon one of the importers, Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF), to answer questions and clarify whether they adhered to such conditions.
CPF imported the invasive fish into Thailand in 2010.
The company had a permit to study the fish for breeding at its research centre in Samut Songkhram province.
Mr Nattacha explained the investigation is to ensure a stringent process for fish imports, particularly those that could harm the ecosystem.
Without stringent procedures, Thailand could face hundreds of alien species, he said.
The subcommittee also aims to determine whether the DNA of the invasive fish matches that of the fish imported by CPF.
CPF said it killed all of the blackchin tilapia fish in its stock in 2011.
The vice president of the Lawyers Association will also be invited to provide legal advice on violations concerning natural resources and the environment. The subcommittee's findings will be used to consider filing the lawsuit.
As the punishment of the current law cannot potentially solve the problem, the legislative will review the law for amendment. For now, Mr Nattacha said they can take responsibility by law or moral conscience.