FISH POISONING - MOZAMBIQUE *************************** Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 Below is the copy of a news article from the Panafrican News Agency from their web site at: <http://www.africanews.org/pana/news/> It does not indicate if the case is connected to the one in the Lake Victoria but here there is an indication of pesticide contamination. Source: PANA, 14 Nov, 1998, edited At least 33 people have died in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado since mid-September as a result of acute diarrhoea and vomiting caused by the consumption of fish contaminated with pesticides. Statistics provided by the provincial health directorate showed a further 327 people, suffering from symptoms of the same poisoning, have been treated in the provinces' health units. Laboratory tests have proved the pesticide contamination. According to health officials, fishermen increased their catches by using pesticides in the fishing grounds. This resulted in the death of huge numbers of fish: more than the fishermen could carry away. Other people came along and picked up the dead fish, regarding them as a free meal. They ate them or, in some cases, sold them. This chemical poisoning has occurred at several points along the Cabo Delgado coast. There are fears that the death toll could be considerably higher, since some victims will not have been able to reach any hospital or health post. The health authorities are urging citizens not to purchase or consume any fish that may have come from the contaminated waters. The health ministry has alerted the authorities in the neighbouring provinces to exercise strict control over trade in fish from Cabo Delgado. Deputy National Health Director Avertino Barreto said that criminal investigations are now under way to identify and bring to justice those responsible for the poisoning. Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 Source: Electronic Mail & Guardian, Johannesburg, South Africa. 18 Nov 1998, edited Fifty (50) people have died over the past six weeks in Mozambique's northern Cabo Delgado province after eating fish deliberately killed with pesticides, officials said on Wednesday. The health ministry said the poisoning -- which affected a total of 586 people -- was caused by fishermen dumping pesticides at several points along Cabo Delgado's Indian Ocean coast to increase their catch. The fishermen killed huge numbers of fish, more than they could carry away, the ministry said. Health authorities in the neighbouring provinces of Zambezia and Nampula have been alerted, and investigations are under way to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.
