Warning on eating of Swartkops fish

TOP marine biologists warned yesterday against eating fish from the polluted Swartkops River mouth.

This follows an independent pollution study done by Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) marine biologists which showed that fish from the area contained alarming amounts of dangerous metals.

NMMU marine biology lecturer Dr Nadine Strydom said the study had found extremely high concentrations of cadmium and, to a lesser extent, lead in the tissue of certain species of fish in the estuary.

"The levels measured exceed international safe standards for food," she said. "My research team discovered fish with livers that were discoloured and had formed ulcers." -