Mussels now safe to consume – ministry

It is set to be business as usual in the mariculture industry, following the public announcement this week, by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, that it is safe again to consume mussels from Walvis Bay and Swakopmund.

In late January, mariculture farmers in the coastal areas took a knock following the Ministry’s decision to close down the Walvis Bay Production Area 1 for mussel harvesting due to Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP).

The Ministry during this period said that Mussel samples from the Walvis Bay Production Area had been tested for biotoxins and levels of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning was above the maximum permissible levels and discouraged the harvesting and consumption of mussels.

According to a statement released this week, mussel samples from the Walvis Bay Mariculture Production Area 1 were collected and submitted for testing for DSP.

“During the most recent official sampling and testing facilitated by NSI as guided by the national shell fish sanitation Programme. Both re-tests produced negative results and mussels may therefore be harvested for human consumption,” the statement read.

In 2016 in June and September, the fishing industry also experienced a set back when the ministry again shut down all outlets that sell mussels and oysters harvested from the Walvis Bay and Swakopmund areas as they were deemed unfit for consumption due to poisoning.