SUVA (Pacnews) — Regional and international scientists have recommended that a Commonwealth Pacific Marine Toxin Research Center be set up in Fiji to undertake research on marine toxins.
The call comes after a workshop hosted by the University of the South Pacific’s Institute of Applied Sciences ended in Suva recently.
Participants agreed that more research was needed to understand the causes and outbreak of marine toxins, and how to contain them.
Workshop coordinator Professor Bill Aalbersberg said shellfish toxins like mussels were affecting most Asian countries and New Zealand.
In the Pacific, he added, ciguatera fish poisoning was the most common, “accounting for about 95 percent of all reported cases of fish poisoning.”
Aalbersberg said it was worrying to see ciguatera poisoning increase in the Pacific not only because of the health implications on consumers, but also its impact on the fishing industry and economy.
