Talk.Onevietnam.org, News Report, Posted: Jun 07, 2011

 Is it possible that the after-school fish stick snacks you have been feeding your child could possibly be contaminated with deadly metals such as mercury?! Unfortunately, the answer is YES. The dangers of consuming too much fish are usually paired with the not-so-rare disease hydrargyria (better known as mercury poisoning) but now it seems that there’s a new danger to this delicious after-school snack and ambient dinner main course.

A popular frozen fish product imported from Vietnam called basa fish just made the “Do Not Consume” list. Basa fish (known in the UK as Vietnamese river cobbler) is a type of catfish that is farmed in pens along the Mekong River. Basa fish is known for its mild taste and flaky white meat and is becoming the preferred type of fish among consumers because of its “cleaner” and almost bland taste compared to other types of farm-raised fish.

Consumers in The United States were introduced to basa fish in 1994 after the trade embargo with Vietnam was finally lifted. It was not a popular choice at first, but now it is a great competition for domestic catfish farmers. This is because basa fish is cheaper than catfish, has similar taste, and the quality of it is not any less. The quick rise in the basa fish’s popularity created the “Catfish War” in The United States. 

Read more here.