fish sellers in Suva and Nasinu areas are aware of the fish species which cannot be sold because it may be contaminated with ciguatera toxin which could lead to fish poisoning in humans.
Laqere market fish seller, Sakiusa Navaka, said he bought between $1000 to $2000 worth of fish from fishermen who fish in the Tailevu and Rewa waters and were well aware of species of fish which were poisonous.
He made the comments as the Ministry of Fisheries last week released a list of 20 fish species which could be contaminated with the ciguatera toxin.
The toxin is thought to have already caused cases of fish poisoning around the country.
Speaking in the iTaukei language, Mr Navaka said Ministry of Fisheries official visited the fish market two to three times a week to check on the fish species, its weight and the length of fish before middlemen could actually put a price tag on the product.
Mr Navaka,62, said he had been a fish-seller for the past 30 years and knew what type of fish his customers wanted.
He said whenever ministry officials gave them the heads up on what kind of fish is poisonous; they make sure to give all necessary advice to their customers to warn them from buying and consuming poisonous fish.
He said every fisherman and fish dealer in the country were aware of the fact that fish was eaten by every member of the family, thus, they needed to ensure their customers did not buy poisonous fish.
The 20 fish species listed by the Ministry of Fisheries as contaminated with the ciguatera toxin are black snapper (kake), two spot red snapper (bati), yellow margin moray (dabea), giant moray eel (dabea levu), mangrove red snapper (damu ni veitiri), gold spot herring (daniva), brown-marbled grouper (delabulewa), long-face emperor (dokonivudi), leopard coral grouper (donu), blacksaddle coral grouper (donu saloa), squaretail coral grouper (donu sedravu), great barracuda (ogo), pick handle barracuda (ogo buidromo), rivulated snapper (regurawa), starry pufferfish (sumusumu kailo), white spotted pufferfish (sumusumu kevula), long spot snapper (tina ni kake) and the green jobfish (utouto).
