THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the state witnessing an influx of fish consignments from neighbouring states with the highly hazardous chemical, formalin, the Food Safety Department is weighing the option of a joint enforcement drive with their counterparts in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Goa.
The Tamil Nadu Food Safety commissioner P Amudha has reportedly already extended her support for a joint drive. “A total of 18,000 kg of inedible fish has been confiscated in the state in four days,” said an enforcement officer. “These consignments came from AP and Tamil Nadu. In this context, there is a plan to seek the assistance of officers from neighbouring states.”
But Kerala Food Safety commissioner M G Rajamanickam played down the matter. According to him, stringent monitoring and enforcement activities will be launched to check the influx of inedible fish. “More than joint drives, our priority is to intensify inspections at checkposts, as within a gap of four days we were able to seize 12,000 kg of fish containing formalin traces and 6,000 kg of rotten fish from checkposts in Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad districts,” he said.
He said with the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) planning to introduce the paper strip technology on a large scale for use by the public. “Ours is a consumer state. Thus, we can’t enforce a ban on fish consignments from other states. When CIFT starts producing paper strips on a large scale, the public can buy it at about `3 and test the quality of fish themselves,” said Rajamanickam.
At the same time, assistant food safety commissioner A K Mini said the Health Minister has already issued an instruction to the department to strictly enforce the Food Safety and Standards Act and conduct surprise checks in the wake of the trawling ban.