Ban on import of fish may be extended: Parrikar
Panaji, July 23 : Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday said the government is willing to extend the 15-day ban on import of fish "to remove fear and confusion" among people, while urging legislators to stop politicising the issue.
Citing laboratory tests, he also ruled out the use of formalin by traders to preserve fish in the state. More than 116 samples drawn from various markets and different variety of fish since July 14, indicated that no added formaldehyde was used to preserve fish. The reports about its usage to preserve fish had triggered a drop in tourism in the coastal state, Parrikar said.
"The government is ready to consider extending this ban for a further period in the interest of the health of the Goans, if the prevailing circumstances remain the same", he said while replying to a calling attention motion moved by Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Nilesh Cabral in the ongoing monsoon session of the Goa legislative assembly.
The 15-day ban on import of fish from other states was imposed by the Chief Minister on July 18.
Quoting guidelines by the central government's Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), he said that while only additional application of formalin was considered an offence, many commonly consumed foods inherently contained the chemical as part of their natural metabolism.
"Formaldehyde is documented to be naturally present in many common food items, including fruits and vegetables (approximately 20 to 60 mg per kg in fruits and vegetables), meats (approximately 5-20 mg per kg), fish (approximately 5 to 140 mg per kg), crustacean (approximately 10 to 100 mg per kg) and mushrooms (approximately 60 mg in fresh to as high as 400 mg per kg in dried shitake mushrooms), etc," Parrikar told the Goa legislative assembly in a written reply.
"In most marine fishes, formaldehyde is a natural breakdown product of a chemical known as trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) that exists in their bodies. Once the fish is harvested, TMAO breaks down into formaldehyde and dimethylamine in equal parts during the post mortem. It can also accumulate in certain marine fish and crustacean during frozen storage," he added.
Urging the legislators to speak responsibly on the formalin controversy, Parrikar said the furore caused over alleged use of formalin had even resulted in a drop in the number of tourists visiting the state.
"Irresponsible statements have an impact on tourism. Tourists are refusing to eat fish now," Parrikar said, saying that legislators were making statements out of ignorance. Banning of fish imports will severely impact tourism, he also said.
"Because of our ignorance and political oneupmanship, we are destroying Goa's image," Parrikar said, while promising to set up a "robust mechanism" to check the use of formalin in fish before the temporary ban on import of fish from other states is lifted on August 3.
The BJP-led coalition government in the state has been on the backfoot ever since the controversy erupted, more so after two cabinet ministers, namely Town and Country Minister Vijai Sardesai and Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, tried to downplay the use of formalin in fish, claiming it was within "permissible limits". The claim was disputed by several experts including marine scientists at the Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography.
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345 Indian fishermen stranded in Iran return home via Armenia
New Delhi (PTI): A group of 345 Indian fishermen, who were stranded in Iran amid escalating regional tensions, returned to India via Armenia on Saturday, officials said.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar thanked his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan for assistance in return of the Indian nationals.
The Indian nationals arrived in Chennai this evening, the officials cited above said.
The circumstances that led to them being stranded in Iran were not immediately known.
"Thank FM @AraratMirzoyan and the Government of Armenia for facilitating the evacuation of Indian fishermen today from Iran, through Armenia to India," Jaishankar said on social media.
Over 1,500 Indian nationals have left Iran through land border crossings in Armenia and Azerbaijan since the start of the West Asia conflict over a month ago.
"A group of Indian fishermen, stranded in Iran, are returning home via Armenia today; their flight is expected to reach India this evening," a government statement said.
It said the Ministry of External Affairs continues to closely monitor the evolving situation in the West Asian region, with the safety, security and welfare of the Indian community being accorded the highest priority.
It also made a mention of five Indians being injured in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
According to Abu Dhabi authorities, the Indian nationals were among the 12 people injured by debris from an intercepted missile.
"In an attack in Abu Dhabi, five Indian nationals were injured; four have been discharged, one remains under treatment," the Indian government's statement said.
It said the Indian mission in Abu Dhabi is extending "full" assistance and coordinating with local authorities, adding that their flight is expected to reach India this evening.
