Nagaland: Workshop on fish quality and food safety

A three-day workshop on “Quality Aspects of Fish and Fishery Products with Demonstration of Formalin Kits” commenced Tuesday at the Directorate of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources (F&AR), Kohima. The programme is organised by ICAR–Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT) under the North Eastern Scheme, in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources, Government of Nagaland.
Special guest Kevisa Kense, Chief Information Commissioner and former director of the department, emphasised the importance of food safety and institutional collaboration. He urged ICAR-CIFT to extend technical support and capacity-building assistance to strengthen quality assurance mechanisms in Nagaland’s fisheries sector.
Welcoming participants, Priya E.R., Scientist and Session Coordinator, ICAR-CIFT, highlighted the need for awareness on quality standards and food safety. Rongsennungba, director, Department of Fisheries & AR, in his inaugural address, stressed scientific practices, quality control, and safe handling of fish products to protect consumers and boost the local fisheries economy.
A technical session on “Prioritisation and Need Assessment of Quality Issues in Nagaland Fisheries” was jointly delivered by Dr. Femeena Hassan and Dr. Martin Xavier of ICAR-CIFT, focusing on region-specific challenges. Dr. Laly SJ, Senior Scientist, presented on “Adulteration and Food Safety Concerns in Fish” with emphasis on formalin, warning of health risks and stressing detection mechanisms.
A key highlight was the practical demonstration and distribution of formalin detection kits by Dr. Laly SJ, Priya E.R., and Jijoy T, enabling field-level detection of adulteration in fish. The inaugural session was chaired by Ketusielie Angami, Joint Director, Department of Fisheries & AR. The workshop will continue with technical sessions, hands-on training, and capacity-building activities until February 5.