THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2000
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2000
Red Tide alert
By Ayu Sulaiman
The Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources, in a statement issued yesterday, advised the public to abstain from eating planktivorous fish and molluscan shellfish such as clams, cockles and mussels of unknown origin.The statement explained that recent information received from the Fisheries Department of Sabah, Malaysia stated that the coastal waters of Sabah, especially in the region of Kuala Penyu, Kota Kinabalu, Beaufort and Papar districts, are still contaminated with red tide toxins.
"In view of this situation, the ban on the importation of planktivorous fish such as mackerel and sardines and molluscan shellfish such as oysters, cockles and mussels from East Malaysia is still in force."
As an added precautionary measure, the department also advised the public to completely remove the guts, gills and other internal organs of fish before cooking.
The department also noted that the waters of Brunei Darussalam remain free of red tide toxins.
The Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources will keep the public informed of further developments.
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