PORT DICKSON: The public has been advised against eating mussels and other bivalves, such as lokan and lala, harvested here for three weeks until they are certified safe to eat, said the Fisheries Department.
The department’s deputy director-general (management), Wan Aznan Abdullah, said mussels found in the waters here are unsafe for consumption as they are found to be contaminated by dangerous biotoxins.
In a press conference here yesterday, he said tests carried out by the Fisheries Biosecurity Centre showed the mussels here had been contaminated with toxin-producing algae such as those from the Prorocentrum, Alexandrium and Pseudo-nitzschia genus.
“However, the people are free to eat fish, squid, crabs and other marine produce.
“Try not to consume the bivalves, including lokan, lala and mussels, for the next 20 days to be on the safe side,” he said, adding that preliminary findings revealed that the algae population had increased drastically due to the unusually hot weather.
“The prolonged hot weather helps the algae grow rapidly, causing the level of biotoxins to increase drastically as well,” he said.
Wan Aznan said tests carried out by the department showed that bivalves farmed and fished in other states, such as Melaka and Johor, were safe to eat.
“Only the ones harvested in Port Dickson are not safe to eat for now,” he said.
Asked if there was a possibility that the contamination was caused by sea pollution, Wan Aznan said there was no evidence to suggest this, adding that this was the first time such cases had been reported in Port Dickson.
