SEREMBAN: The ban on consuming mussels from Port Dickson waters is still in force for the safety of consumers, said Negeri Sembilan Department of Fisheries (DOF) director Kasim Tawe.

He said this was because the analysis conducted on the third sample of mussels and water from the area by the Kuala Lumpur Fisheries Biosecurity Centre (PBPKL) laboratory still detected biotoxins exceeding permissible levels.

“The fourth set of mussel and water samples were collected from Port Dickson waters and sent to the PBPKL laboratory yesterday. The analysis results are expected to be ready by April 26,” he said in a statement today.

On April 4, DOF deputy director-general (Management), Wan Aznan Abdullah, reportedly said that the results of PBPKL laboratory analysis found that there was harmful algae that caused mussels in Port Dickson waters to be contaminated and unsafe to eat.

He said that water samples and mussels in the waters were contaminated with biotoxins as well as harmful Prorocentrum, Alexandrium and Pseudonitzschia algae species.