Ho, April 26, GNA – The Ho Municipal Environmental Health Department has destroyed a total of 128 pieces of contaminated mudfish seized by law enforcement and regulatory bodies including Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).
Mr Aaron Amedzro, the Municipal Environmental Health Officer, who led the team to destroy the fish, told Ghana News Agency, the decision to destroy the fish was taken after water analysis test.
He said a result of a test carried out by relevant authorities on the water in which the harvesting was done showed that the content was not safe.
“We called the men who were harvesting the fish and we talked to them after the test, initially they were not happy and were thinking that they were cheating them, but they later understood the decision was for the safety of the public,” he said.
Mr Amedzro said it was their responsibility as environmental health officers and the FDA to ensure that whatever the public consumed was of good quality and safe.
The fish were buried after they were left to reach a decomposing state to prevent people from desiring to go and dig for them secretly and sell to the public.
Madam Stella Kumedzro Regional Environmental Health Officer, noted during the seizure that the fish were seized in the interest of the public, as the probability of E. coli and salmonella infestation was likely.
She said the catch would be subjected to series of tests after which it would be either discarded or returned to the fishermen depending on the results of the analysis.
Madam Kumedzro said relevant bodies were unsure whether the fish from the drain had reached the public and that surveillance was being heightened throughout the region following the incident.
Mr Gorden Akurugu, Volta Regional Head of the FDA, who was also part of the team said there were high levels of microbes and the presence of heavy metals in the source water that was stagnant because of the harmattan, making the fish unwholesome.
He said one of FDB’s cardinal mandates was the maintenance of public health and safety and could not watch while contaminated fish was served to the public.
He entreated chop bar operators and fishmongers to endeavour to know the source of fish before they buy them to process for public consumption.
He said this was necessary to ensure that what the public consumed was good and safe to avoid diseases.
In January, this year, a joint operation by the Environmental Health Department, the Food and Drugs Authority, the Police, and the Environmental Protection Agency, led to a seizure of the mudfish.
A group of men were seen harvesting the fish in a storm-drain under a culvert near Tarso hotel in Ho and law enforcement and regulatory bodies were informed, leading to the seizure for forensic analysis of the catch.
Source: Ghana News Agency