Officials of Ghana’s National Disaster Management Organization have destroyed some eighteen (18) kilograms of unwholesome tilapia.
The Tilapia from China were destroyed at a community called Asutsuare in the Shai Osudoku District of the country’s capital Accra.
They were brought into Ghana by the Chinese fish farm company called Fujian Farm.
Officials suspect that the Tilapia did not survive in the country because they were genetically modified.
Spokesperson for the disaster organisation George Ayisi told Accra-based Starr FM that “We should be worried. But it doesn’t mean we should desist totally from taking tilapia. We just ought to be cautious when we want to. That’s the advice I will give”.
Last year the Country’s Foods and Drug Authority destroyed 4,500 cartons of unwholesome canned fish. The products were said to be on transit to Togo, but were diverted onto the Ghanaian market.
In July this year, Ghana’s Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MoFAD) placed a ban on the importation of all ornamental fishes and tilapia species. The ban will last until December 31, 2018.
The ban was in reaction to the outbreak of the Tilapia Lake Virus considered dangerous. The Tilapia Lake Virus (TilV) has no cure. It is a virus that infects populations of tilapia.
The virus is responsible for decimation of some populations and was only discovered recently. Tilapia is popular in Ghana and served with all kinds of food.
Source: Africafeeds.com
