Authorities in Ghana seized fish being processed under unhygienic conditions after the practice was exposed on social media by environmental nonprofit group Buz Stop Boys.
In a video posted on Instagram, the group showed fish being stored outdoors at Tema Newtown near a shoreline covered in refuse, where defecation was taking place openly.
“There are growing concerns about hygiene and food safety practices during the handling, storage, and sale of fish, which may pose health risks to consumers,” Buz Stop Boys said in the post. “We kindly urge the FDA to conduct inspections and ensure that all fish vendors comply with the required food safety and sanitation standards.”
On 28 July, a few days after the video was posted, the Ghana Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) confiscated fish from vendors in Tema Newtown.
“Today, the FDA, in collaboration with the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA), the Ghana Police Service, and the Ghana Armed Forces, undertook a joint enforcement exercise at the Tema Newtown fishing enclave to safeguard public health,” the government said in a statement. “During the operation, contaminated fish were confiscated from fish handlers for safe disposal to prevent them from entering the food value chain. The fish handlers were also educated on the importance of maintaining good hygiene and adopting safe fish handling and processing practices.”
The FDA also conducted demolition activities to begin the process of cleaning up the refuse littered along the shoreline.
