4 Institutions to Conduct Tests on Quality of Fish In Markets of Assam
Guwahati: The state fisheries department has requested four institutes in the state to conduct an in-depth research regarding the presence of formalin in fish purchased in the state from other states. The State Fisheries Minister has given this direction after examining the presence of formalin in the fish.
The four institutes that have been entrusted with the responsibility of conducting this research are the Department of Zoology, Gauhati University, Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, ICAR, NER, Guwahati, College of Fisheries at Raha and College of Veterinary Sciences, Assam Agricultural University, Guwahati. The official statement mentioned that the institutes will conduct necessary tests after collecting various test samples and finally submit a report to the department.
This statement comes after a previous statement by the same department which mentioned that there is lack of adequate facilities to test the presence of formalin in fish. This was the main reason that the department could not do any testing of the fish that came to the state from other areas.
A study conducted by the Zoology Department of Nowgong College revealed the presence of formalin in the fishes. This triggered an immediate response from the concerned circles, especially the consumers regarding the quality of the food products in the state. According to a report by Nowgong College, 15 per cent toxic formalin has been found in fish imported to Assam, besides 0.003 per cent cadmium and 0.015 per cent arsenic.
The fisheries department claims that it produces enough fish to meet the demand in the state. In contrast, large quantities of fish are imported from Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and other states.
According to a study, the per capita fish consumption in the state of Assam is 12 kg per year. The sources of fish in the state are Brahmaputra and Barak and their 53 tributaries, 2072 beels, 341 forest oxbow lakes, 6266 water bodies swamps and 5.45 lakh ponds and tanks including fisheries.
