PORT DICKSON – The results of the Kuala Lumpur Fisheries Biosecurity Centre’s laboratory analysis found that there were harmful algae that contaminated mussels in Port Dickson’s waters, rendering them unsafe to eat.
The Fisheries Department’s deputy director-general for management, Wan Aznan Abdullah, said water samples and mussels in the waters were contaminated with biotoxins as well as the harmful Prorocentrum, Alexandrium and Pseudo-nitzschia algae species.
“The hot weather is also one of the causes of this algae multiplying quickly in the waters, but it does not affect other marine life such as fish, shrimp, crabs and so on.
“We advise the public not to eat these mussels within 20 days, after this festive season we will take more samples to be tested, before confirming that the mussels here are safe to eat,” he said at a press conference here today, which was also attended by state Fisheries Department director Kasim Tawe.
Wan Aznan said the department would continue monitoring with regular testing according to the established procedure until the cell density in the water had decreased and biotoxins in the mussel contents were not detected.
According to him, the department was cooperating with other enforcement members such as regular and marine police in the waters here to ensure there was no harvest and sale of shellfish in the district.
“There are 40 registered mussel operators here in Pasir Panjang, including unregistered ones. The existing mussels in the waters do not have to be disposed of, they will neutralise themselves, except that the mussels that have been harvested and sold in the market must be destroyed,” he said.
He said water samples were also taken in the waters of Melaka and Johor, and they were found to be safe and there was no proliferation of the algae.
In the meantime, Wan Aznan said one poisoning victim was still receiving treatment in the intensive care unit at Port Dickson Hospital.
Earlier, the Negri Sembilan Fisheries Department was reported to have taken samples of mussels and water in the waters of Port Dickson following an alleged case of food poisoning due to seafood.
The state Health Department also said there were eight cases of food poisoning related to the consumption of mussels, with two cases admitted to the ICU, five to regular wards and one outpatient. – April 4, 2024