Bihar warns against eating mysterious fish from flood waters after illness reports

The Bihar government has told residents not to eat, buy or sell "unfamiliar and unusual" fish being caught in rivers swollen by flood waters from Nepal, after reports that some people fell ill from consuming them.

The Dairy, Fisheries and Animal Resources Department issued the advisory following reports from East and West Champaran, Gopalganj, Bagaha and Saran districts of "strange-looking" large fish appearing in the catch. Some residents said they became ill after eating the fish "inadvertently", while fishermen reported seeing decomposing human and animal carcasses in the flood waters.

Health risks from contaminated waters

The advisory warned that fish from Nepal's flood waters may have come into contact with sewage, dead animals and other contaminated substances, raising the risk of bacterial, viral and other pathogen contamination.

State minister Nand Kishor Ram said the comprehensive advisory against catching, consuming, buying or selling unfamiliar fish was issued "to avoid any contamination".

Anyone showing symptoms including vomiting, severe diarrhoea, dizziness, vertigo, stomach pain, difficulty breathing or unusual reactions after eating such fish should contact the nearest health centre or hospital immediately, the advisory stated.

Unusual catch reported

Fishermen have reported catching giant, dolphin-like fish in swollen rivers including the Gandak, Ganga and Kosi, which have touched the danger mark at several places in districts bordering Nepal.

"Some strange and unusual fish have been seen in the strong current in Bihar's rivers after the flash flood in Nepal. We see such fish very rarely in our normal catch. Most of them die after they are caught," said Chhatu Sahani, a fisherman at the Mangalpur ghat in Gopalganj.

Vinod Nishad, a fisherman in Saharsha, said they were catching fish weighing 27-38 kilos, even 40-45 kilos, including Nepali species like barali (wallago catfish), goita (goonch catfish) and rohu.

The advisory instructed that when unfamiliar fish are caught, district fisheries officials or local administration must be contacted immediately, and no such fish should be consumed without identification or confirmation by the concerned department.

Source: The Hindu