PHILIPSBURG--The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour Affairs VSA is advising the public not to consume any fish from the country’s ponds, as they may be poisonous.
According to a press release, reports received indicated that persons were seen over the weekend catching fish from Great Salt Pond for possible human consumption.
Collective Prevention Service (CPS) said the fish could be poisonous and residents/visitors should refrain from eating fish from Great Salt Pond or Fresh Pond.
Fish-poisoning symptoms can occur anywhere from two to 12 hours after eating fish. Symptoms include abdominal cramps, diarrhoea (severe and watery), nausea and vomiting.
The public is “strongly advised to leave the fish alone, do not take them home to cook or to be sold to others, as the fish are not fit for human consumption,” the release noted.
St. Maarten Nature Foundation issued an alert over the weekend concerning tilapia fish die-off in Great Salt Pond. The Foundation and the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI have been working to ease the serious drought situation that has been impacting the water levels in the ponds.
Nature Foundation took various soil samples during its recent drought surveys of Great Salt Pond, to test for a wide spectrum of heavy metals and the results were positive for nickel, zinc, arsenic, lead, cadmium, copper, chromium and other heavy metals.
The main threats to human health come from some of these heavy metals that can cause cancer and may result in organ-poisoning in those exposed to the heavy metal.
