Expert tasks FG on aquaculture farming

A United Kingdom Certified Food Safety Officer, Dr. Rasheedah Sadiq has called on the Federal Government and private organisations to develop sustainable safe aquaculture farming and to raise healthy fish production that will not damage local ecosystems.

Sadiq, who spoke at a virtual conference organised by ‘Journalists Go Organic’ in Abuja, said it is no gainsaying that the omega 3 in fishes is highly essential to healthy living in this present-day toxic world, noting that over the years health hazards associated with aquaculture and its consumption have been popular discussions.

“Health practices have emerged and proven that it is possible to have sustainable farming that is even capable of providing anti-inflammatory dishes for reversing chronic diseases. They are practised at pristine skills to develop safe aquaculture

“If the main reason we are eating fish is for the omega fatty acid, we can reap the benefits of these long-chain fatty acids by eating alternatively a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds without the risk of marine contaminants.”

The expert said ethical problems are associated with all forms of animal agriculture, and the environmental concerns raised by consuming its products, adding that fish parasites are killed by heating treatment, which may be up to five days before freezing.

“Infection in humans is associated with the consumption of fish containing live parasites, and we are not the intended host of the parasites as we are not an aquatic mammal. Hence, in this respect, humans are considered an accidental host.”

Sadiq however, stressed that nearly all fishes contain at least trace amounts of mercury, which is a toxic metal that can cause neurological and chromosomal problems and harm unborn babies if they are exposed during pregnancy.

“Fish contamination is higher with wild-caught fishes (frozen foods), their tissues tend to be fatty and most environmental contaminants are fat soluble. To compound this, bigger fish eat smaller fish, so the contaminants get more concentrated on the higher the food chain we get,” she concluded.