During a Senate inquiry on Monday, Thai Minister of Fisheries Suchart Chomklin requested an additional seven days to thoroughly review evidence regarding the environmental and economic damage caused by the invasive tilapia species. Senator Thewarit Maneechai, representing Samut Songkhram, pointed out that the tilapia outbreak traces back to a 2006 approval for importation from Ghana, which has since led to the fish spreading to Bangkok and 19 provinces along the Gulf of Thailand. Despite the seriousness of the situation, efforts to hold responsible parties accountable have been slow, prompting local residents to file a class-action lawsuit against the importing company last year. A study from Thammasat University estimated that the damage to farmers and small-scale fisheries in Samut Songkhram alone amounts to 131.96 million baht annually. Minister Suchart acknowledged that previous governments have allocated budgets to address the issue but emphasized the need for urgent surveys by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources to assess ecological damage, including losses of seagrass and native species. He reiterated the government's commitment to addressing the problem without bias.