Some fish traders are using an agricultural chemical, Ethion 50 EC, to preserve fresh fish for sale.
While it is not clear how prevalent the practice is across the country, fish traders we have spoken with in Lilongwe have told us that this has been happening for a while now among traders in Malawi.
“We have been preserving fish this way for a long time,” said one trader at Old Town in the Capital.
“You know fish is delicate. We are supposed to make profits but fish gets rotten fast before it sells sometimes; so we found a way to preserve it so that it lasts,” she said.
Details show that ingesting the chemical overtime may bring devastating impact on human health.
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The chemical in question is made for crop pest management. It contains toxic organophosphate compounds. Their range is intended to kill aphids, mites, bollworms, and other sucking or chewing pests that attack a variety of crops.
The chemical are known to provide a quick knockdown impact for insects. They compromise the nervous system of the insects, causing paralysis and then death.
The residues can last for some time, offering continued protection for crops.
We bought the chemical from a pesticide trading shop in Lilongwe. It sells between K7,000 and K11,000 depending on the size of the bottle. It is in liquid form.
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To apply the chemical on fish, traders prepare a bucket of water, about 4 litres, in which they pour bottle top measurements of the pesticide. The number of the bottle tops vary depending on the amount of fish. The larger the quantity of fish, the more the number of bottle tops poured in in the bucket.
Then they immerse the fish in the bucket, before displaying it for sale or storing it for future sales.
Ingesting the chemical may be dangerous to human health. Medical and chemical safety information we have reviewed shows that malathion-based products can affect the human nervous system too and cause serious poisoning.
Symptoms linked to its exposure include nausea and vomiting, dizziness and blurred vision, muscle twitching and weakness, breathing difficulties, skin and eye irritation, persistent nerve damage, anxiety, depression, and personality changes.
Health experts further warn that prolonged exposure may lead to liver and kidney damage, respiratory complications and possible cancer-related illnesses.
As it is with most pesticides, the product carries warnings requiring users to wear protective clothing during handling to avoid contact with the skin and eyes.
James Kaphale, Chief Executive Officer for Pesticides Control Board, a statutory body established to regulate the importation, manufacture, distribution, storage, usage, and disposal of pesticides in Malawi, said the authority has not registered the chemical for fish preservation.
“It is used on field crops,” he said.
JOBE—This is a violation of consumers’ right to safe food
Health rights activists have since warned that using the chemical in fish may be exposing Malawian public health to devastating consequences.
They are also wary of its reach – considering that fish is an important and affordable source of protein taken by many people in Malawi. Its usage in fish may be putting in peril lives of millions, indicated activist George Jobe.
“This is a violation of consumers’ right to safe food,” said Jobe, Executive Director for Malawi Health Equity Network, a coalition of civil society organisations on health in Malaawi.
He called on the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and other relevant authorities to move in with urgency and investigate the matter, strengthen market inspections and take action against those responsible.
The scale at which usage of pesticides in fish preservation is happening across the country may not be certain, but there are pointers suggesting that it could be common.
In October last year, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation also reported that fish processors in Nkhata Bay have been using Actellic, a popular grain storage pesticide, for preservation of usipa fish.
To treat the fish, traders mix the powder with water which they then sprinkle over the fish on drying racks.
The traders said with this procedure, the fish can last up to anything between several months and two years, which allows the sellers to store it and supply Lilongwe and Blantyre mar-kets when demand rises, ensuring high profitability.
“We dilute Actellic in about 20 liters of water and apply small amounts. We believe it is safe and it helps us store fish for months or even sell it the same day if customers show up,” one trader was quoted as saying.