Paradip: The fishing harbour here started emitting stink a week after a European Union (EU) team expressed satisfaction over the ‘hygienic’ condition of the harbour.
The fishermen have returned to their old way of processing rotten fish on the cabin of trawlers with formalin, a chemical used for preservation of bodies in the mortuaries and considered a silent killer for human beings.
Though the fisheries department banned the use of the deadly chemical in fish processing in 2009, it is still being used rampantly by the local fishermen.
According to reports, a team led by EU auditor Markus Brunner along with fisheries officials of the state government and the Centre expressed happiness over the facilities here and found the condition suitable for seafood export when they visited the harbour Novermber 22.
This apart, the Expert Inspection Agency (EIA) also certified it to be an international standard harbour in August. But the hygiene maintained by the authorities during the visit of the delegation was misleading. The harbor was given a facelift on a war-footing ahead of the visit of the EU team.
According to sources, the fisheries department gave the harbour a temporary facelift by removing the stock of dried fish, preservative chemicals, damaged trawlers and boats and by painting the auction hall. Though it managed to mislead the EU team with their ‘smart’ moves, the fishermen can now be seen drying rotten fish on trawler cabins and bamboo-made racks.
It was learnt that the good quality fish (Class A&B) are exported in ice boxes while C & D class fish are dried on the cabin top of trawlers with application of formalin. The fish varieties like Lanji, Pati and Borei come under C&D categories and they used to be sold at Rs 140 a kg. However, awareness increased among buyers after the government imposed a ban on the use of formalin in preservation of fish in September last year which resulted in a drop in sale. The fishermen were forced to reduce the price of C&D variety fish to Rs 35 to Rs 40 a kg. But the ban was not enforced this season which commenced June 15. This has encouraged fishermen to prepare dry fish using the harmful chemical.
When contacted, the fisheries department secretary Vishal Gagan said a 3-month long roadmap has been prepared to bring changes in the fishing harbour through the Network for Fish Quality Management and Sustainable Fishing (NETFISH) and Marine Product Export Development Authority (MPEDA). The department would soon take action against users of formalin, he added.
