Dimapur, June 26 (EMN): The Mokokchung Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MCCI) has conducted a meeting with members from the Fish Traders’ Union on June 26 and resolved to prohibit the sale of any imported fish in Mokokchung effective immediately.
A press release from the MCCI on Tuesday stated that the decision was made in public interest after they came to know about the confiscation and destroying of formalin-laced fish in Kohima. The updates informed that the decision to ban sale of fish in Mokokchung was taken as fish sold in Mokokchung were also imported from the same source as in Kohima. The MCCI stated that fish sellers in Mokokchung will refrain from selling any kind of imported fish, other than live fish like ‘makor’ and ‘eel’ until the competent authorities give the order.
The MCCI and the fish traders had requested the customers and consumers to bear with the inconvenience. The group had asked the authorities concerned to resolve the matter at the earliest before much damage was done to their ‘fragile local economy’.
The MCCI also requested the Mokokchung district administration to prohibit the transportation and sale of fish by traders at weekly bazaar in Mokokchung district immediately.
“If these guerilla traders from Assam were found selling any fish in Mokokchung at this moment, the district administration would be held solely responsible for any untoward repercussion that may arise,” the MCCI cautioned.
It also mentioned that the fish traders in Mokokchung were only selling fish which were purchased from other bigger players in Assam and that there should be no reason whatsoever to assume that the local fish sellers were involved in treating the fish with formalin.
The MCCI had also requested the department of Fisheries to intervene and collaborate with the fish traders and fishery owners in Mokokchung for better coordination.
Also, taking note on the notification by the Nagaland State Food Safety Commissioner against the use of formalin-laced fish in Nagaland, a meeting was conducted on June 26 at the office of Deputy Commissioner in Mokokchung.
An update from DPRO informed that the meeting was attended by officials of Food Safety, medical personnel, and members from Mokokchung Chamber of Commerce in which they discussed about the measures to stop the illicit supply of contaminated fish into the district, had there been any.
Fish samples were also collected from the whole sale go-down in Mokokchung and sent to Kohima for a laboratory test.
In this connection, additional deputy commissioner of Mokokchung, W Manpai Phom has issued an order prohibiting wholesalers from selling fish until laboratory report was confirmed.
