Food Safety and Quality Authority has confirmed the use of sniper insecticide on smoked fish after weeks of laboratory test.

There have been reports of widespread use of sniper on smoked fish which prompted the nation’s food standards authority to investigate the issue.  

Mamodou Bah, director general of Food Security and Quality Authority, said in a statement that “a total of 57 fish samples were collected from seven fish landing sites and nine markets within the Greater Banjul area. 

“From the main sample, 11 fish samples were randomly selected as subsample for analysis at Ceres Locustox Laboratory in Dakar, Senegal to determine the presence of pesticides.

“The result of the analysis indicated the presence of sniper (dichlorvos) and four other insecticide products (namely; permethrin, abamectin, cypermethrin and bifenthrin). 

“The results further indicated high residual concentration of dichlorvos in the samples collected from Bakoteh fish market with a concentration of 9.18 mg/kg. The presence of other insecticides (permethrin, abamectin, cypermethrin and bifenthrin) were also found.

Mr Bah continued: “The Sniper product found in The Gambia contains a highly toxic organophosphate compound, which is very toxic to human health and the environment. 

“Sniper was originally formulated as a plant protection product to be used only for agricultural use (at 1000 g/L). It was also used as biocide at much lower concentrations (mostly 25 g/L).”

Reporting by Adama Makasuba