Tons Of Rotten Fish Seized In Buea

/By Macdonald Ayang Okumb/

      Huge crowds gathered at the Great Soppo neighbourhood last Thursday 13 August in Buea when several tons of fish, not deemed fit for human consumption, were seized from two cold store owners in Buea.

      The fish was withdrawn from one of the CONGELCAM sales points as well as a cold store known as the “Mount Cameroon Cold Store.”

      The seizure was effected within the framework of routine visits to such business premises by officials of the Regional Delegation of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry, MINEPIA.

     The Regional Delegate of MINEPIA, Cecilia Chiawa, the Divisional Officer for Buea, Paul Kouam Wokam, plus security officials constituted the team that cracked down on the unscrupulous frozen foods dealers.

      Officials said the stock of fish that was seize, most of which was already rotten, could pose a huge health risk to consumers if the dealers eventually sold it.

     The seized stock of fish was poisoned and set afire and the remains carefully buried so that no one could surreptitiously lay hands on them for consumption.

      The Delegate also told the press that they had collected photocopies of documents of the defaulters and that warning letters would be served them in the days ahead with he possibility of further sanctions if such an ill-intentioned act repeated itself.

     We gathered that it was the second time this year that such rotten frozen fish was scooped out of the mount Cameroon cold store by MINEPIA officials.

     One of the victims who spoke to media men tried to sink his shame by parrying the blame to the constant electricity power cuts in Buea.  He further justified that his cooler in which the fish was kept developed a fault and it could not be repaired in time because the technician was far way from Buea.

     The population was therefore reminded of the need to be vigilant when purchasing frozen foods.