B450m is thought to have caused the damage to the tuniapia.
Five firms have denied exporting blackchin fish, while the House Committee on Science, Technology, Research and Innovation estimates the aggressive bass has caused up to 450 million ringgit of destruction to farmers and the atmosphere.
On Thursday, Praphan Leepayakhun, assistant director-general of the Department of Fisheries, was invited to attend a House committee meet chaired by Takorn Tantasith.
Another participants included members from five businesses: Thai Qian Hu, Advance Aquatic, Samitra Aquarium Limited Partnership, P&, P Aquarium World Trading and Asia Aquatics.
Three additional businesses did not respond to a demand for their attendance.
According to the Department of Fisheries, 11 manufacturers sent 326, 240 blackchin fish as elegant fish to 17 states, including Pakistan, Turkey, Kuwait, Azerbaijan, Australia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States between 2013 and 2016. Bass imports were at the time regulated by the Animal Epidemics Act.
Manufacturers were only required to have a health certificate or billing before the fish had to be shipped.
However, a recent investigation revealed that there were mistakes in entering data into import records for 212 of the 24 000 orders that involved the period’s elegant fish exports. The department claimed that different species of fish were mistaken for Sarotherodon melanotheron ( blackchin tilapia ).
At the time, there was no record on black fishes exports. It was only an mistake in filing knowledge”, he said.
Despite the fact that the document was incorrect, House committee chairman Mr. Takorn also questioned why the department was focusing on export records rather than looking for the source to investigate farmer complaints about blackchin tilapia spread.
The five businesses ‘ representatives at the conference also reaffirmed that they never exported the fish and that they had presented the council with receipts and purchase orders from that time.
A committee formed to resolve the problem has been told to compile a record for the House committee to assume the problem, including the harm caused to farmers, people’s livelihoods and the atmosphere, which is estimated at about 450 million ringgit, he said.
To provide emergency cash to those in need, the House committee did send the document to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.
However, Suwat Wongsuwat, Fisheries Department official, said a venture to approach blackchin fish as wet biofertiliser, has apparently produced 155 tonnes of manure from 168 tonnes of fish.