Food Safety and Quality Centre urges residents and visitors to avoid buying, trading or eating the fish
Oman’s Food Safety and Quality Centre has warned residents and visitors against buying, trading or consuming 12 species of pufferfish found in the Sultanate’s waters.
The authority said some of these fish contain potent toxins, including tetrodotoxin, which can cause serious health effects such as numbness, nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, paralysis and difficulty breathing, and may be fatal.
The warning covers species including Arothron hispidus, Arothron nigropunctatus, Canthigaster valentini, Arothron immaculatus, Chelonodon patoca, Diodon liturosus, Lagocephalus lunaris, Diodon hystrix, Arothron meleagris, Lagocephalus sceleratus and Diodon holocanthus, as well as Arothron.
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The centre stressed that cooking or freezing the fish does not eliminate the toxins or make them safe to eat. Consumers have been advised to choose fish known to be safe, purchase seafood from reliable sources and follow official safety instructions.
Authorities have also issued warnings regarding fish and shellfish harvested from red tide-affected areas, improperly stored fish and fishing restrictions for certain marine species.
The advisory comes as Oman continues precautionary monitoring of fish products and marine areas following an oil spill near the Al Hallaniyat Islands. Authorities are monitoring fish landing sites, markets and processing facilities while conducting environmental assessments and testing samples.
