Members of Parliament from Nyanza and Coast regions in Kenya have threatened to call for a boycott of fish from China, citing health and economic concerns.
The MPs said the importation has severely affected fish-producing regions economically, as hundreds of local fish mongers have been pushed out of business. Additionally, the lawmakers claimed lack of guarantees on the safety of the fish has exposed consumers to lead poisoning and cholera, among other health effects. Unless and until the Government tells us why it cannot make available the necessary resources to make our fish industry viable, unless and until the Government authenticates the safety of these cheap fish imports from China, we urge our people to completely boycott their purchase and consumption, said the MPs in their statement read by Nicholas Gumbo (Rarieda). The Standard this week carried an exclusive report of how fish from China have flooded the local market as local fish breeding grounds run dry.
The report also showed how fish processing companies in Nyanza region have scaled owns their operations in favour of Chinese fish imports. The fish, according to the special report, is frozen and exported to Kenya by Zhangzou Longyi Food Company Limited.
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