Fish vendors in the Central Business District of Accra are worried that reports of “fish mortality” would “destroy” their business.
Over the weekend, huge numbers of different species of fish were discovered washed ashore along the coasts of Osu in Accra, Axim-Bewire in the Nzema Municipality in the Western Region, and Keta in the Volta Region.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture, the Food and Drug Authority, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other sector agencies are examining the cause of the “fish death” and have issued warnings against its use, selling, and involvement in Ghana’s food chain.
In an interview with some Accra traders, Ms Lydia Botwe, a fish vendor, said the incident might affect her business because customers would be reluctant to buy smoked sliced fish if they didn’t know where it came from.
A 45-year-old fishmonger, who requested to stay anonymous, also claimed that once the inquiries were concluded, their business would begin to slow down since COVID-19 had knocked it out of gear.
Another fish seller, Mrs Abigail Shia, said that once such news surfaced, the fish industry suffered greatly, though they would not offer fish they were unsure about.
“…I would be afraid because I wouldn’t know whether they were infected or not, and I wouldn’t want to put my customers’ lives in danger. This is the first time I’ve seen something like it since I was born, and it’s really strange.
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“Fishes, especially large ones, have been avoided in the market for a few days now. So even though we have any earlier, customers would be unable to purchase them for fear of them being from the washed-ashore ones,” she lamented.
Meanwhile, some consumers said they were avoiding big fish that had been cut and smoked on the shelf for a while.
Mr Kofi Ansah, a cell phone accessory dealer, said his faith forbade him from eating dead fish, but he claimed there was nothing wrong with the fish and that they were destroyed by fishermen throwing torches at them.
Mrs Margaret Afia, a middle-aged lady, claimed that she would use dried fish until such fishes were no longer visible on the market.
“We all realize that any fish we eat is caught by our fisherman, but how can we eat fish that no one knows how they died?” she said.
Mrs Faustina Amoabeng, still in her middle age, had no problem with eating fish washed up on the beach.
“You don’t wait to see the fish alive and in action until you purchase it when you go fish hunting. We occasionally buy fish that have been in the freezer for months and have little idea how they died. Aren’t they all dead fish?
“Perhaps God has seen the difficulties we are facing as a nation and has agreed to shower us with fish for food,” she speculated.
SOURCE: ATLFMONLINE
