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April 11, 1997
(Fisheries and Aquaculture)

 

Buyer ordered to dispose of inferior quality fish

A licensed fish buyer had to dispose of about 1,300 pounds of halibut on Thursday, having been ordered to do so by the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture following inspections that determined the fish was unfit for human consumption.

"I am serious about ensuring that only quality fish and seafood products are produced in this province," said Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister John Efford. "Inferior quality products damage the reputation of the entire processing industry in the marketplace, and undermine the commendable work done by many processors to ensure their products meet top notch standards for quality."

"I have little tolerance for anything less than top quality fish and seafood products. If I have to take away a licence issued by my Department in order to get that message across, then that is what I will do," he said.

In the case of the fish buyer who had to dispose of halibut, two inspections of the product were conducted by the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. About 8,000 pounds of the halibut were purchased by the buyer from a fishing vessel that had been at sea for 29 days, according to documents obtained by the department. The first inspection was conducted on April 3. When the first inspection was done, a significant quantity of product had already been marketed by the buyer. The first inspection determined that close to 60 per cent of the product was decomposed and unfit for human consumption. Samples taken during a second inspection, April 8, determined that the amount of the product unfit for human consumption far exceeded the minimum tolerance level. As a result, all product had to be disposed of.

Mr. Efford said that in this particular case, charges have not been laid because it has not been determined whether the product was in a deteriorated state when it was landed, or if decomposition occurred after the product was purchased upon landing. He noted that product from the same vessel was inspected on two separate occasions recently and was found to be of very good quality.

A new quality assurance program was one of the key elements of a new processing policy framework announced by the minister on March 31. Mr. Efford said that measures to be adopted, in consultation with industry, will cover all species and will be applied on a consistent basis industry-wide. Under the Fish Inspection Act, the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture will be enforcing quality measures from dockside to processing plants. Departmental staff involved in fish inspections have been provided special training in this area, especially in the area of quality enforcement.

Contact: Josephine Cheeseman, Director of Communications (709) 729-3733.

1997 04 11 10:25 a.m.

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