Cheating widespread at Souk Sharq fish auction: chairman

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KUWAIT CITY, Aug 11: Chairman of the Kuwait Fishermen Union Zaher Al-Souyan faulted the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Kuwaiti Municipality, and the Public Authority for Food and Nutrition for the spread of cheating during fish auction at the Sharq Fish Market, reports Al-Rai daily.

The director of Food and Nutrition Authority in Hawalli and Acting Director of the Capital governorate branch Ali Hashem Al-Kandari said inspectors belonging to the Authority examine fish and shrimps before permission is given to the Ministry of Commerce to sell the fish through auction.

Al-Souyan said he has received many complaints about the sale of imported shrimps through auction at the Souq Sharq in the morning and that an estimated 450 kilos of shrimp unfit for human consumption was recently destroyed before the auction.

Video clips posted in the social media show imported shrimps being washed at the Fish Market in Souq Sharq and sold during the auction as local product.

“What is happening in the fish market is a big problem. We had earlier warned against the decision of shifting the auction venue of imported fish from the Mubarakiya Market to the Sharq Market temporarily for two months, which opened the doors of cheating,” Al-Souyan said.

Al-Souyan said the victim is the consumer and this is why “we strongly reject the auction of imported fish at the Sharq market. So we renew our call to move this auction as soon as possible to its new location in Al-Rai.

According to a knowledgeable source from the Public Authority for Food and Nutrition its inspectors do not have the right to issue citations against those sell spoiled fish or cheat during auction.

He explained the role of the authority is limited to destroying the fish if it is found the fish is unfit for human consumption.

The source pointed to attempts being made to give inspectors the right to issue violations against those who sell spoiled fish during the auction.

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