Fisheries dept urges catfish, patin rearers to give halal feed for fish

The Fisheries Department has urged rearers of catfish and Patin fish (Pangasius Sutchi) in the country to give their fish 'halal' feed.

Its deputy director-general, Datuk Ismail Abu Hassan said the burden of feed costs had resulted in many farmers seeking numerous cheaper alternatives.

"Although there are cheap feeds which can be easily obtained, the rearers must also take into account religious aspects and the impact on the environment," he said at a media conference after opening a 2014 Catfish Exhibition and Convention at the Glami Lemi Fisheries Research Institute here Monday.

He was responding to questions over the case of fish, especially catfish and 'patin' fish, which contained pig DNA and were sold in Perak and Selangor recently.

Ismail said the department would take samples of catfish and patin fish produced by the rearers and test them for pig DNA.

He said measures to ban the sale of the fish to Muslims would be issued if the tests were found to be positive.