JOHOR BARU: Fishermen and fishmongers around the country have been urged to immediately stop selling the poisonous pufferfish (ikan buntal) to prevent the risk to people’s health.
Malaysia Fish Suppliers’ Association deputy president Tai Wai Sun said the fish was still being sold in the market despite reports of fatalities from eating it.
“The elderly couple from Kluang, who died after consuming the fish in March, is not a one-off incident as there have been similar cases, including one in Kulai last year.
The fish contains toxic enough to kill a person even when ingested as little as 25mg.
“I urgently appeal to fishmongers and suppliers to refrain from selling the fish as it brings dire consequences to those consuming it, including poisoning and death,” he said during the Johor Baru Fish Suppliers’ Association 44th anniversary celebration here yesterday.
On March 25, 84-year-old Ng Chuan Sing @ Eng Kuai Sin and his wife Lim Siew Guan, 83, ate pufferfish after buying and cooking it for lunch on March 25. It caused the elderly woman to experience breathing difficulties and shivers.
She died later that evening while Ng, who showed similar symptoms, slipped into a 10-day coma in the intensive care unit before succumbing on April 8.
On March 30, former Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said pufferfish which contain dangerous toxins were not allowed to be sold in Malaysia under Section 13 of the Food Act.
Tai, who is also the association’s Johor Baru chairman, said pufferfish could usually be found in fishing nets inadvertently along with other types of catch.
“When the fishermen sort their catch, creatures such as small fish, crabs and pufferfish are rejected as these are deemed unsafe for consumption or do not have market demand.
“The rejected catch would either be discarded back into the sea or ground into a paste as fish feed at our kelong (offshore platform).
“But as experienced fishermen, we would throw away the pufferfish as it is unsafe even for our fish to consume.
“However, some fishermen will choose to keep the pufferfish, gutting and cleaning it before selling this for about RM15 per kg,” he said, adding that he is aware of many who still sell the fish.
Tai said that in Japan, only trained and licensed handlers were allowed to handle the fish, whereas its processing and handling here was usually done by foreign workers employed by the fishermen.
“There are more than 120 species of pufferfish worldwide but only two types are considered safe to consume.
“The probability of consuming poisonous ones is quite high so it is better for them to refrain from selling pufferfish at all,” said Tai, urging fishmongers and suppliers to do the right thing.
Last Thursday, the couple’s daughter Ng Ai Lee posted on her Facebook, calling for authorities to look into those selling pufferfish on social media.
