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| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 27 May 2022 : 16:09:00
I hope that all employees of The Ministry Of Agriculture are made
fully aware of the CHANGED STATUS of the widely used product SNIPER
and spread the word to all they meet especially in the rural areas.
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https://standard.gm/gambia-news/sniper-insecticide-banned-in-gambia/
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The Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides Control and Management Board, has announced a ban on SNIPER insecticides with immediate effect. The decision, according to a statement from the National Environment Agency, affects importation, warehousing/ stockpiling, distribution, sales and use of the product.
SNIPER is a pesticide product in wide circulation in The Gambia. The active ingredient in sniper product is Dichlorvos, an organophosphate compound, which is a banned product in most part of the world due to adverse effects they posed to human health and non-target species in the environment. The product has also never been registered by the Sahel Pesticides Committee.
According to the board, the high concentration formulation (1000 g/L) coupled with the misuse of SNIPER product has led to fatalities, forcing government to impose a moratorium on its import and use in The Gambia in the recent past.
“In view of the aforementioned, consequently, all businesses are hereby warned to cease mportation of product with immediate effect. Businesses and individuals who are in possession of stockpiles of SNIPER are hereby given a grace period of Six (6) months that is until 31st October, 2022 to get rid of their products. Businesses and individuals are being warned to make the best use of this grace period stipulated herein and any activities otherwise would be in breach of the law and therefore shall face the undesirable consequences that come with it,” the statement said.
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| 6 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 25 Feb 2023 : 12:43:27
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https://standard.gm/nea-seizes-resurfaced-banned-chemicals/
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By Omar Bah
February 22, 2023
The National Environment Agency, NEA, has expressed concern over the resurfacing of the banned Sniper insecticide. In May last year, the Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides Control and Management Board, announced a ban on Sniper insecticides with immediate effect.
The ban affects importation, warehousing/ stockpiling, distribution, sales and use of the product. The insecticides were found to be used on fish products across major fish landing sites and markets.
However, speaking to journalists on Friday, NEA executive director, Dawda Badjie, said NEA is very concerned about the continued smuggling of the substance into the country, revealing that recently, the agency confiscated dozens of bottles of the banned substance.
Mr Darboe added that dozens of Sniper and other unrecognised substances, were confiscated from 47 vendors around KMC and West Coast Region.
He said some of the chemicals are not even labelled. “This is a serious crime,” he said, adding that those chemicals are not permitted to enter the country.
“We have 328 containers and 677 packets of pesticides, and 21 kilograms of powdered pesticides. This is very worrying and needs the collective effort of all Gambians,” he said.
Mr Badjie said because of the profit associated with the substance, many people are now getting into the business giving total disregard to the ban.
Lamin Jaiteh, registrar of pesticides and Hazardous Chemicals at NEA, said: “It is disappointing that people are reformulating the products and putting them in new containers or giving them other names while the same active ingredient remains.”
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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 15 Jul 2022 : 18:28:55
SNIPPET from the above post:
"The General public is assured that the concerned authorities will apply powers vested in them to ensure that the food chain is safe and free from any undesirable elements.
The understanding and cooperation of the general public is highly solicited."
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+++++++++++
IN other words IF you fail to do what you have been told to do you will be in BIG trouble.
++++++++++++ |
| Momodou |
Posted - 15 Jul 2022 : 18:13:27
FSQA DG Mamodou Bah advises Fish Vendors to desist from use of “Sniper” on Fish, says laboratory test results confirm presence of substance in smoked fish
PRESS RELEASE ON SNIPER USE IN FISH PRODUCTS
Gambia Friday 15th July, 2022
In June 2022 there was a public outcry on the purported use of pesticides in particular SNIPER™, on Smoked Fish by fish processors and vendors. . Such reports prompted an immediate stakeholder engagement and subsequent verification process to investigate the use and presence of insecticides in fish products. The public was sensitized on the potential risks associated with the use of pesticides in food products. Fact -finding teams were established, which comprised officials of Food Safety and Quality Authority, National Environment Agency, Directorate of Public Health Ministry of Health, Department of Fisheries and Pesticide Experts.
The teams visited fish landing sites and markets to administer questionnaires and collect fish samples for laboratory analysis. During these engagements with the fish vendors and processors, none of respondents attested to the use of snipers, however empty sniper containers were seen at a site.
A total of 57 fish samples were collected from 7 fish landing sites and 9 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..
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 wasalso used as biocide at much lower concentrations (mostly 25 g/L). Sniper is a banned product in The Gambia due to its toxicity, continuous misuse and abuse of the product.
The presence of sniper (Dichlorvos) and other pesticides have been confirmed analytically in the samples tested in July 2022. All fish processor, distributors and vendors are hereby warned to cease and desist from the use of pesticides on fish and other food productsAnyone found engaging in such unscrupulous activity would be in breach of the law and therefore shall face the undesirable consequences that comes with it. The general public is also hereby informed that this press release will be followed by Risk communication exercises to create awareness on safe chemical pesticide usage to ensure Good Hygienic Practices in food processing, safeguard public health and preserve environmental health.
The General public is assured that the concerned authorities will apply powers vested in them to ensure that the food chain is safe and free from any undesirable elements.
The understanding and cooperation of the general public is highly solicited. |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 09 Jun 2022 : 19:01:52
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https://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/headlines/lady-commits-suicide-after-reportedly-drinking-sniper-pesticide
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Jun 8, 2022, 11:38 AM | Article By: Momodou Jawo
Identified as Sandra, a Nigerian lady residing in Bakoteh in the Kanifing Municipality has reportedly committed suicide after allegedly drinking a sniper pesticide; The Point has been reliably informed.
The circumstances leading to her suicidal act couldn’t be established at the time of gathering the report. However, security personnel are currently investigating the matter with a view to getting to the root of the incident.
A source who is familiar with the matter and spoke to The Point on the condition of anonymity confirmed the development, claiming that the lady was pronounced dead at a near-by health center at Bakoteh.
The incident, our source added, occurred on Monday around 10 a.m. “The matter was later reported to Bakoteh Police Station who upon receiving the information acted swiftly to respond to the incident,” our source posited.
The spokesperson of The Gambia Police Force (GPF), Lamin Njie and the police deputy spokesperson, Alieu Jamanka couldn’t be reached for comments at the time of going to press.
Meanwhile, our reporter has been reliably informed that the body of the deceased is currently in Banjul for post-mortem.
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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 09 Jun 2022 : 18:59:11
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https://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/headlines/fsqa-without-laboratory-to-establish-alleged-presence-of-sniper-insecticide-in-smoked-fish
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Jun 9, 2022, 11:59 AM | Article By: Ismaila Sonko
Bai Dodou Jallow, the director of Scientific Affairs, at Food Safety and Quality Authority (FSQA) has confirmed to journalists that his institution hasn’t a laboratory to establish the alleged presence of the sniper insecticide in smoked fish sold in the country.
Mr. Jallow made these remarks during an interview with the reporters at his office along Kairaba Avenue on Tuesday.
He added that there is no such facility in the whole of The Gambia to perform such a function.
An audio making the rounds on social media alleged that some smoked fish vendors used sniper insecticide products to preserve their fish.
The news sparked public outcry of potential public health implications it might have on the people, if it is actually true.
However, the fish smokers within the Kanifing Municipal and West Coast Region have denied the allegation of using sniper insecticide to preserve their fish.
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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 06 Jun 2022 : 15:16:47
Well done FSQA you appear to have your finger on the pulse,such infringements must be expected by those who have unused stocks of SNIPER.
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https://standard.gm/gambia-news/fsqa-investigates-rumoured-use-of-sniper-insecticide-on-smoked-fish/
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By Tabora Bojang on June 6, 2022
The director general of the Food Safety and Quality Authority has said a swift investigation will be conducted into claims of fish smokers using sniper on smoked fish.
A few weeks after government banned SNIPER, a popular insecticide, reports emerged over the weekend that fish smokers are now allegedly using the product as a preservative against insect infestation in order to prevent spoilage.
Speaking to The Standard yesterday, Mamodou Bah said the Authority is following up on the rumour with an urgent investigation and measures will be taken against anyone found wanting.
“The gravity of this report is something that needs urgent verification. It is a serious rumour and that is why we are out to allay the fears of the public and to assure them that we are going to investigate and anyone found wanting will face the consequences,” the director general warned.
He said the Authority will conduct its investigations with the NEA, Fisheries and Public Health departments to get to the bottom of it and report its findings to the public.
According to DG Bah, the use of such insecticide on food products could pose harm to the public while the people engaged may be naďve to understand the damages due to ignorance.
“Some of these things are naive. Sometimes people do things not because they are bad but they may not know the effect and harm it could do to the public. If anybody is engaged in this practice, let them stop it immediately because we are investigating and anyone who has information can call our toll-free number 1299 and we will get to them.”
The National Environment Agency last month announced a ban on importation, warehousing/ stockpiling, distribution, sales and use of sniper insecticide. |
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