The Norwegian Seafood Council in Nigeria has urged authorities to emphasize education rather than punishment in addressing the growing use of harmful chemicals to preserve stockfish.
During an inspection at the White Sand Market in Otto, Lagos, the Council’s Fisheries Consultant, Abiodun Oritsejemine Cheke, said some traders resort to unsafe methods like using sniper out of ignorance.
She appealed to NAFDAC and the Federal Department of Fisheries to step up public enlightenment on safe handling and preservation.
“When you train them, you can sanction them. But if you’ve not trained them, the practice will continue,” Cheke said, stressing that genuine Norwegian stockfish is naturally preserved — dried in cold air and sunlight without chemicals or additives.
Cheke added that recent inspections of markets and warehouses in Lagos revealed no signs of chemical contamination or poor storage.
Also speaking, Truls Helness of Norway’s Sufi Seafood Company explained that stockfish drying is entirely natural, relying only on wind, sunlight, and cold air.
He said chemical misuse often stems from attempts to extend shelf life beyond the product’s natural limit.