KANNUR: Faced with the threat of indiscriminate use of chemical preservatives, the fisheries department is planning to strengthen its vigil and use modern technologies to test fish consignments. Also, testing would be strengthened at checkposts to prevent the use of hazardous chemicals like sodium benzoate to preserve fish when it is brought from other states.
"As of now we don't have a lab to single out chemicals used to preserve fish, a perishable item. We cannot withhold sales till the chemical analysis report is ready. This often becomes a hurdle and our task is left incomplete," said an official with the department.
However, the scientists at the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) in Kochi are in the process of developing a handheld device to test chemical levels in fish. Once this device is made available, checking squads can take it to markets or checkposts to test consignment quality, he said.
Though there is an inspection team (comprising officials from the food safety and fisheries department) in every district, the plan is to strengthen its operations, said department officials.
If a consignment is found to be adulterated with toxic substances, sales can be stopped and if it is imported from other states, it would be sent back after taking samples for further testing. "We had conducted workshops at a few places, including Kozhikode, to gather inputs from officials, boat owners, fishermen and trade union leaders to formulate an action plan," said Satheeshkumar, joint director, fisheries department.
According to officials, the problem before fishermen is that fish is brought directly to the harbour from other states. If there is a stringent measure to curb the sale of fish laced with toxic preservatives, this flooding can be regulated, thus giving better marketing opportunity to local fishermen.
Officials also said there was a plan to introduce permit system for auctioning fish so that middlemen influence can be restricted. The plan is to conduct auction through fishermen cooperative societies so that they would get better earnings.
The permits would be given to those people recommended by the cooperative societies, said officials, adding that proposal was being discussed.
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