Flying fish has remained the delicacy of choice for most Barbadians, whether they are flocking to the Oistins Bay Garden on Friday nights, taking a drive through sleepless Baxters Road or stirring up a dish of mouth-watering cou cou.
However, the supply of Bajan flying fish has been fluctuating in recent years – so much so that there is a standing joke about the delicacy having left our waters and flown to neighbouring Tobago, where Bajan fishermen have ventured, at the risk of life, limb and imprisonment, simply to net a few of them.
But when all is said and done, Barbadians and indeed our visitors would rather be starved of flying fish than to eventually and unwittingly consume some of those bacteria-filled ones now reportedly being hidden and shifted from container to container across this country.
The saga of nearly half-million spoilt fish has been in the news for nearly two weeks now, and we sincerely hope that the Ministry of Health seizes the rotting fish and disposes of them, and ensures that those responsible for determinedly trying to get them sold to innocent consumers are brought to justice.
We dread the possibility of some of these fish finding their way into restaurants or onto dining tables, since the consumption of such could lead to either serious illness or death.
It is downright uncaring, greedy and dishonest for any supplier, vendor or anyone else to knowingly allow 500 000 contaminated fish to enter the market to be consumed by adults and children, many of whom would have virtually cut their teeth on this uniquely Bajan treat.
By now, the Ministry of Health should also have done its investigations and should be putting its warnings in place via all sections of the media as well as on posters at our popular dining spots, since thousands of people converge on weekends for the ubiquitous “fish fry” alongside the popular Oistins, Baxters Road and Bay Street limes.
And while we are heartened to be informed that quality control officers have so far disposed of over 30 000 of the contaminated fish, which were seized from a vendor at the Bridgetown Market, questions must be asked regarding the training of these vendors, suppliers and those whose duty it is to inspect local food.
Just as there is required by law a thorough inspection process for imported foods and other products coming into the Bridgetown Port, an equally diligent process should cover the handling and distribution of produce sourced from local gardens, livestock farms and, indeed, this island’s waters.
What roles do the Ministry of Health and Barbados National Standards Institute play in all this? Certainly, food cannot be allowed to find its way into hotels, restaurants and other places without the relevant inspection and the meeting of high health standards.
And if local or imported foods fail to meet those requirements, the offenders should be questioned by the authorities and, once suspected of malicious intent, prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
This potentially affects too many people not to be a priority investigation.