Assam fishery department directs 4 institutes to detect presence of formalin in imported fishes

Guwahati, Apr 28: In a bid to identify the presence of formaldehyde and cadmium or any other heavy substance in imported (chalani) fishes from different parts of the country, the Director of Fisheries, Assam has directed four institutes to conduct an in-depth testing and forward the reports for necessary action in case of presence of any substance.

In an order issued by the Director of Fisheries, four institutes have been roped in to conduct the testing. They are -- Zoology Department, Gauhati University; Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, ICAR, NER, Guwahati; College of Fisheries, Raha, Nagaon and College of Veterinary Sciences, Assam Agricultural University, Guwahati.

The development comes after the presence of heavy metal was detected in imported fishes by the Zoology Department of Nagaon College. The reports claimed about the presence of formaldehyde and even cadmium. The fishes were purchased from Nagaon fish market.

Fisheries minister Parimal Suklabaidya has asked the above mentioned institutes to conduct and in-depth research and enquiry about the presence of formalin in imported fishes which has surfaced in media following the report published the Zoology Department of Nagaon College.

The notification stated, “The news is revealed by the Zoology department of the Nagaon college in which researcher of that college tested the imported fish and detected the presence of formaldehyde and even cadmium. The fishes were purchased from Nagaon fish market.”

Based on the above circumstances the directorate requested the four institutes to test the presence of formaldehyde and cadmium or any other heavy metals in imported fishes. The director further sought report from the institutes if any element is found in the laboratory set-up for further necessary action. “The fishes to be tested may be procured/collected from the nearby fish market where imported fishes are sold,” read the notification.