Uproot fish-adulterators

The ill-technique of adding water to increase the weight of Boal fish (a species of catfish) and gel-injected shrimp is not a new one. Newspapers have been making headlines over the deception for quite a few years. Unscrupulous businessmen are often fined for this kind of dishonesty. But, it gives no permanent solution to the crime. A recently conducted raid in the fish market of Bhairab upazila, Kishoreganj has proved that again.

A mobile court has recently fined four fish traders Tk 73,000 for injecting gel to shrimp heads and increasing weight of Boal fish by adding water into their stomach. A total of 122 kilograms of gel-injected shrimp has been recovered during the raid.

According to a survey, some 250 grams are being injected to one kilogram of shrimp. And this is how fish traders have been illegally pocketing Tk 100 per kilogram.

The shrimps which are being brought to Bhairab from Satkhira and Khulna are all gel-injected.

The gel, made from a mix of rice water and several other chemicals, is injected to the heads of shrimp through syringes. This gel is now available in Bhairab. Some traders have been using the gel to the shrimp caught from the Meghna river. Moreover, around one kilogram of water is being injected to a five-kg Boal fish. These dishonest fish traders are often detained or arrested for this crime but they keep committing the crime repeatedly.

The chemicals which are being injected to the fish are very dangerous for human health and can cause deadly diseases. This is a kind of slow-poisoning, leading a number of people towards death. So, the fine that is being awarded to the traders is very scanty and fails to rein in the crime.

The traders who were detained from Bhairab fish market have blamed Khulna and Bagerhat fish growers for gel-injected shrimp. However, the government should carry out drives to uproot whoever is responsible behind this crime.