ISLAMABAD: Approximately 90 percent of fish consumed in Pakistan is contaminated, a World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) official said at a seminar on Sunday, raising alarm about catch unfit for human consumption being widely sold across the country.
Muhammad Moazzam Khan, WWF’s technical adviser on marine fisheries and a former director general of the marine fisheries department, shared the assessment at a seminar titled ‘Blue Economy: An Avenue for Development in Pakistan’ held at the Pakistan Institute of International Affairs.
“Fish are very delicate protein items and putrefy very quickly if not iced or frozen as soon as possible,” Khan said, adding that 90 percent fish being sold was contaminated.
“Fish are usually kept at room temperature and sometimes at above 40 degrees Celsius and vendors sprinkle water on them to make them look fresher and keep them from decaying. But they have already become unfit for consumption, yet people buy and consequently, fall sick.”
He said fish need to be stored between 0 and 5 degrees Celsius to prevent it from rotting and remain fit for human consumption.
The WWF representative said Pakistan exported around 10 percent of its produce while the rest was degraded or damaged as most boats lacked proper deep freezers and other facilities to store catch.
While the export of seafood in terms of volume was increasing, Khan said Pakistan was unable to grow its target due to a number of factors, including a lack of proper processing facilities and low-quality controls.
