Nearly 11,000 kg of stale fish was seized from the Aryankavu check-post in a joint inspection carried out by the Food Safety and Fisheries departments on Friday night.
The entire consignment consisted of tuna and the fish was found to be in a very bad condition, totally unfit for consumption. “The fish that weighed 10,750 kg was transported in three trucks and the stock was stinking. It was in a decayed state and we also noticed some mouldy stock. When we checked it in our mobile lab, it was found unfit for human consumption,” said Food Safety Assistant Commissioner S. Aji.
With the annual trawling ban in force, there has been a serious shortage of fish and the agents mainly depend on the consignments from neighbouring States. The fish brought from Cuddalore and Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu was meant for wholesale agents and dealers in Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Thiruvananthapuram districts.
Public cautioned
According to Food Safety officials, huge volumes of stale fish had been seized from various parts of the State since the launch of Operation Matsya. The Aryankavu check-post is a main entry point for fish and the consignments are often marketed as fresh catch from Neendakara, the biggest fish landing centre in Kerala. The department has also urged the public to stay alert and check the eyes, gills and texture of the fish to ensure its freshness. The officials have collected the samples which will be sent to the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) for further investigation.
“Only ice is allowed to preserve the fish and the use of any other agent is illegal. The department has strengthened surveillance measures and we will continue the inspections,” said Mr. Aji
