BEIRUT: Beirut Governor Ziad Chebib shut down a famous fish market in the Lebanese capital Thursday after finding dead rats and insects around the kiosks.
“The display tables are in a very bad shape, and we will speak with those responsible for the market’s management to move it elsewhere,” Chebib told reporters standing near the fish market in Karantina, north Beirut.
Chebib said his decision to raid the fish market came after a report from the health department of Beirut Municipality that revealed the appalling health and sanitation conditions in the market.
The fishermen and merchants were angered by the sudden decision, claiming that the evidence used by the report were manipulated.
“There are no dead rats or insects in here. You can look by yourself, you will not find any,” one of the sellers told MTV.
“Nobody came to inspect the food safety conditions here, and they suddenly decided to close it all down,” another said, accusing the authorities of a conspiracy against fishermen.
The governor urged the fish merchants to cooperate, saying the move was in their interest.
“People have become more aware, and they will not buy food from a place that does not respect food safety standards,” he said. “If they continue operating in the bad conditions, it will be bad for them.”
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