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December 2, 2020

By Kevon Browne

St Kitts and Nevis (WINN): The Basseterre Fisheries Complex was re-opened on Friday, November 27 2020 under new management and with revised operating systems. Mr Asim Jenkins is the new Ag Manager at the Facility .

The Complex was closed recently after more than a dozen reported cases of fish poisoning on the island.

Director of Marine Resources, Mark Williams, at the December 2, Prime Minister’s Press conference, gave a snapshot of the reports of the samples of fish that were sent to the Bureau of Standards for testing and the accredited lab partner, EMSL Analytical in New Jersey.

In a release from the Department of Fisheries the test results from the Bureau of Standards indicate that there were no issues in relation to the fish handling or food preparation process but there were elevated levels of arsenic in the fish samples.

According to Merriam Webster arsenic is a poisonous solid chemical element that is used especially in wood preservatives, alloys, and semiconductors and is extremely toxic in both pure and combined forms.

The results suggest the need to maintain clean marine environments with minimal pollutants which can cause adverse effects on human health.

In an effort to ensure food safety, the Ministry has terminated both the arrangements made by the previous Basseterre Fisheries Complex management for imported fish sold to the complex and for private fish processing done at night.