CONTAMINATION OF FISH PRODUCTS - RISKS AND PREVENTION

The risks cf contamination of finfish products with active pathogens l argely depend on the type of product concerned and disposal methods of the importing country. Frozen fish used as bait: or to feed high-valu e species present the greatest risk as vehicles of contamination becau se they are unprocessed. Freezing preserves viral - and some bacterial - pathogens, thus the use of such fish as bait can introduce those pa thogens into natural waters. Conversely, processed fish, particularly fillets, which have been heat-treated or cooked, present the lowest ri sk. If fish are processed after importation, care must be taken to ens ure effective waste disposal, with particular attention to the prevent ion of scavenging by avian vectors and drainage from landfills into na tural waters. Liquid waste should be disinfected and disposed of well away from natural waters.