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Merchants sell frozen shrimps as fresh catch!

“Since this is not the best season for catching shrimps, there is usually a severe shortage of this variety in the local markets during this time,” a source at RAK municipality told Khaleej Times on conditions of anonymity.

He said that some traders were resorting to such illegal practices and that stringent measures would be adopted to curb the practice. The Public Health Section of RAK Municipality is conducting campaigns to ensure that the foodstuff being sold in the local markets is healthy and conforms to the rules laid down by the different health authorities.

The seizure of the frozen shrimps has prompted the civic body to ban the import of shrimps, particularly from India. However, the municipality is planning to lift this ban during the next few days, specifically from the neighbouring countries, namely Iran and Oman, he added. The move is aimed at ensuring that all imported shipments of shrimps are fresh and conform to the rules laid by the health authorities. “The proximity of these two countries allows fishermen to deliver their catches to RAK markets on the same day,” he added.

Some of the RAK fishermen have hailed the municipality’s efforts to control the local fish markets.

They described the seizure as a breakthrough that would go a long way in curbing the control of expatriate fishermen in the local fish markets.

The UAE government has identified nationalisation of the fishing industry as one of its top priorities.

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