Mussels from PD, Malacca still not safe for consumption - Fisheries Dept

 

All mussel farmers in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, and Malacca are advised against selling their seafood products, as laboratory testing continues to detect biotoxins exceeding safe intake levels.

Fisheries Department director-general Adnan Hussain said regular sampling from both areas is conducted weekly to monitor biotoxin levels - in the water and the mussels.

“Analyses by the Kuala Lumpur Fisheries Biosecurity Centre and the Fisheries Research Institute laboratory in Batu Maung, Penang, consistently indicate high biotoxin levels,” he told a press conference after attending the Fisheries Department Ramah Mesra Aidilfitri event in Putrajaya today.

Adnan said the laboratory tests also found that samples of water and mussels in the two areas were contaminated with harmful algae from the Alexandrium species.

He added that according to the Codex Standard of the World Health Organisation, the safe biotoxin level for humans is 800 parts per billion.

On April 2, the Negeri Sembilan Health Department reported eight food poisoning cases linked to mussel consumption.

Subsequent laboratory analyses revealed that mussels from both areas were contaminated with biotoxins and harmful algae species such as Prorocentrum, Alexandrium and Pseudonitzschia.

Fisheries Department director-general Adnan Hussain

In another development, Adnan cautioned against releasing ikan bandaraya or plecos into rivers, as it could disrupt the ecosystem of native fish species.

He said the Fisheries Department recommends two methods for disposing of plecos - by burying them in appropriate locations or using them as plant fertiliser or feed for farmed fish.

“The public can contact any nearby Fisheries Department office for assistance with disposing of large quantities of plecos,” he said.

- Bernama