Many people living in the coastal areas love dry fish, it’s healthy in fact. But nowadays dry fish is not always a good food.
Many fishermen and dry fish vendors are using harmful chemicals. They are using chemical to retain moisture of fish so that those don’t become lighter. Then moisture is helping bacterial growth. So they are using DDT and other insecticides. DDT is banned in many countries. People of Cox’s Bazar and Chittagong consume more dry fish than others as a result cancer rate was found higher among them in last two years.
The media and authority mainly focuses on fish, fruits, food adulteration in processed foods. But something like dry fish, drinking water is ignored. Overuse of fertilizer and insecticides for farming are causing health risk. Industrial waste is polluting river water and eventually making water treatment costly.
Experts are urging for proper monitoring from the government in the shrimp and dry fish processing industry. Export oriented industries are monitored by foreign buyers, but safety of local consumers remains ignored.
