Begin typing your search above and press return to search.

Meghalaya to continue ban on fish import for another 15 days

By Staff Correspondent

SHILLONG, Aug 6 - Meghalaya Government has notified today that the ban on fish import would continue for another 15 days.

The decision to continue with the ban was taken after a review meeting. Official sources said that the ban would continue for another fifteen days and after another review meeting a decision whether to lift the ban would be taken.

Fishes packed in ice and imported from other States, mostly from Andhra Pradesh, was banned on July 23 after traces of formalin were detected in the samples in Ri-Bhoi and Jai�tia Hills districts.

The Health and Fisheries departments have recently procured Formaldehyde Detection Test (FDT) kits and are conducting random tests on fishes.

�The Health department together with Fisheries department have been constantly monitoring the situation after import of fishes was banned and based on a review meeting today the decision was taken to continue with the ban,� a senior Health official said.

There are a number of reasons why the ban has been re-imposed. One of them being that Assam has not lifted the ban on such fishes imported from Andhra Pradesh.

Moreover, the attitude of the fish wholesellers has also something to do with the continuation of the ban. After import of such fishes was imposed the fish whole- sellers refused to lift local fishes from Assam and even from the State and sell them, a move which didn�t go down too well with the State Government.

Meanwhile, the Government has instituted an inquiry and trying to find out who has contaminated the fishes with formalin.

Fisheries Minister Comingone Ymbon earlier said that based on the findings of the report strict action would be taken. The fish wholesellers say they have no idea who has contaminated the fishes.

On the other hand, officials from Andhra Pradesh have visited the State and met officials here and requested the Government to lift the ban and claimed no such contamination of fish has taken place in Andhra Pradesh.

Next Story