Health warning after Xemxija fish-fest

The health authorities have warned that the safety of fish caught from the street in Xemxija after yesterday’s storm cannot be guaranteed.

The Environmental Health Directorate this evening said it had confiscated fish stocks from people who were selling the Sea Bream washed ashore yesterday.

The directorate said it could not be ascertained whether the fish was already dead when caught and may have been kept in unsanitary conditions and collected from roads.

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“If the fish was already dead, there is a possibility that the spoilage of the fish may have initiated, which also means that it can possibly lead to scombrotoxic fish poisoning due to high histamine levels,” the health authorities warned.

The fish, which is likely to have escaped from the fish farms in the area, may have been on medical treatments, the directorate warned.

“Farmed fish are only considered safe once the withdrawal period is exceeded,” the authorities warned.