By Petronella Sibeene WINDHOEK While the raging Zambezi continues to swell, the almost two-months long moratorium imposed on fishing in the river and its tributaries was lifted yesterday. Unlike in the past years when the closed season would be effected to allow fish eggs to hatch and fry to grow, this time it was also due to the high content levels of harmful bacteria detected in the river towards the end of last year. The three bacteria detected, and which were of great concern, were Escherichia coli (E-coli), Salmonella and Clostridium perfringens. The ban, which came into effect on December 12, 2006 and was supposed to be lifted on January 31, 2007 saw an extension pending the outcome of further laboratory tests. Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Dr Abraham Iyambo, yesterday told New Era in an interview that the latest results from South African laboratories indicate an improvement in the deformities and wounds earlier seen in fish from the Zambezi and its tributaries. “Fish were caught, identified and carefully inspected for any exterior signs of scars and dissected where relevant. Overall, the fish appeared normal and in good condition,” said the minister. Considering that there might be rare cases of fish found with wounds, the minister urged fishermen and consumers not to eat such fish. Generally, fish should be cooked ‘well done’ before consumption. According to the latest results received this week, Clostridium perfringens is absent in the fish muscle, which is good news, Iyambo said. Although E-coli is still detected in the water, its content has improved. E-coli should be absent in drinking water lest it causes stomach problems. The minister explained that these bacteria are heat sensitive and deactivated at a temperature above 60 degrees Celsius. Because of that, he strongly recommended that water for drinking be boiled at 100 degrees Celsius for at least 15 minutes. Anyone with discomfort such as diarrhoea, headaches, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, blood in faeces and congestion should immediately report to the nearest clinic or hospital. Salmonella, whose results are still to be reconfirmed, is also not heat resistant and can be destroyed at a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius and above. The deformities in the fish were caused or brought about by the droppings of migratory birds. “We will continue to monitor the situation throughout the year,” he said. In the meantime, the ministry has also been working closely with other SADC countries that share the Zambezi River. Based on the data from the Zambian assessments, the situation is not so different from the Namibian one, Iyambo added. The minister strongly feels that a country such as Namibia needs a pathology laboratory for tests to be carried out as soon as needs be. Currently, Namibia heavily depends on South Africa for such tests. Since the discovery of the problem in the Zambezi last year, samples of water were taken from the Mpukano Channel, the Zambezi River, Chobe River, Kasaya Channel and Lake Chisambilo for examination. Again in early January this year, the ministry sent water and fish samples to South Africa for further pathology tests. The minister explained that the second results did not show any improvement until the good news of this week for consumers who had to do without fresh-water fish such as Zambezi bream, tiger fish and other species.