Following the washing ashore of some fishes at the Osu Castle beach, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has sent an inspection team to markets in parts of Accra.
The team was dispatched to keep an eye on the Osu Mandela market, which is situated in the Korle-Klottey municipality.
The FDA said in a statement that it has started laboratory investigations to determine if the fish in question are safe to eat and has advised the public not to eat any suspect fish.
FDA monitoring teams have been sent to fish markets, including the Osu Mandela market in the Korle-Klottey Municipal Assembly, to avoid washed-ashore fish from entering the food chain.
“The FDA in collaboration with other state agencies have been engaged in investigating and addressing the matter of various species of fishes washed ashore on some beaches since Friday, 2nd April 2021. While laboratory investigations are ongoing, the Authority warns the general public to desist from consuming the fish washed ashore in view of the potential risk to health and safety,” part of the statement read.
Last Friday, several fishes were discovered along the shores of the Osu Castle beach.
On Sunday, over 80 mammals thought to be melon-headed whales washed up on the beach at Axim-Bewire in the Nzema East Municipality.
This drew a large number of locals, who picked them up for consumption or selling.
In addition, the Authority has expanded public education and sensitization in fishing communities and fish markets regarding consistency criteria and indicators of poisoning of fish.
FDA regional offices along the coast in the Central and Volta regions have already been notified, and related activities are being replicated in coastal cities.
“In this respect, the general public is advised to judge a fish’s freshness by the color of its eyes and the redness of its gills. The FDA also recommended that “the washed-ashore fish usually exhibit symptoms of popped open and vague eyes, dull coloration of the gills, bloating around the abdominal regions, and/or potential oozing of foul-smelling fluids.”
“All suspicious cases of possession or sale of these washed-ashore fishes should be reported to the FDA or local authorities,” the FDA says. “Consumers should be cautious of both fresh and recently smoked fish being sold at exceptionally low prices,” the statement continued.
Source: ATLFMNEWSROOM
