DOHA, Oct 15: Qatar has banned the import of all kinds of fish and seafood from Iran and Pakistan. The ban comes in the wake of reports of high radiation detected in fish and shrimps imported from Iran into Kuwait. “The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture banned the import of all types of fish, including prawns, from Iran and Pakistan, after Kuwait declared finding a high rate of radiation in fish and shrimp imported from Iran to Kuwait,” official sources said.

After finding a high rate of radiation in imported shrimps, Kuwait had conveyed an immediate alert to the ministries of agriculture and health authorities in all Gulf countries.

It had also advised the nations to ensure the safety of local seafood in each country, sources added.

Confirming the report about the ban in Qatar, Shaikh Dr Faleh-bin-Nazer-al-Thani, Director-General, Administration, Research and Agriculture Development, at the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture, told Al Sharq: “The ministry has taken samples of shrimps and sent them to labs to check whether the shrimps in the Qatar market are polluted.”

He said: “We are expecting the results today.”—Online