Desperate times have bred dangerous measures. Across local markets, fresh fish sellers crushed by soaring electricity costs and expensive cold storage—are now using industrial red dyes to make decaying seafood look freshly caught. The goal? Turn spoilage into profit. The cost? Unsuspecting consumers’ health.
This unsettling practice, according to findings by Economy & Lifestyle, involves brushing chemical dyes onto the pale, grayish gills of day-old or rotting fish to restore a vivid crimson hue—a color long associated with freshness. But the deception doesn’t stop at appearances.
“These chemicals are meticulously painted onto the gills to mimic the vibrant look of a morning catch,” explained Mrs. Yemisi Dauda, a caterer. In reality, a fish’s gills naturally darken shortly after death as oxygen leaves the bloodstream. But traders are exploiting consumer trust, knowing that generations have been taught: red gills equal fresh fish.
Health experts, however, are raising the alarm.
“This is not just economic fraud—it’s a calculated threat to human life,” warned Dr. Hassan Abdullahi, a health practitioner. “These industrial dyes contain heavy metals and toxic compounds. Consuming them can cause severe gastrointestinal damage, acute food poisoning, and even permanent kidney and liver failure.”
The root cause, multiple traders and consumers told Economy & Lifestyle, is the crushing weight of economic hardship. With electricity tariffs skyrocketing, ice production and refrigeration have become unaffordable for many small-scale vendors. Unable to preserve unsold stock, some resort to chemical cover-ups rather than absorbing losses.
Mrs. Josephine Audu, a caterer, shared her chilling experience: “Last weekend, I bought beautiful red snapper. But when I soaked it in water, the gills lost all color, the water turned bright red, and the fish reeked underneath. We now have to be detectives just to feed our families safely.”
Civil servant Mrs. Sherifatu Kazeem voiced her shock: “For years, my mother taught me to look for red gills. Now criminals are weaponizing that exact rule to poison us for profit. I’m afraid to buy fish altogether.”
Chef Mabel Ajede offered a practical warning: “I tell my kitchen staff—smell the fish, check the firmness of the scales. If washing it turns the water pink or red, throw it out immediately. It’s a scam and a health hazard.”
But some see a systemic failure beneath the scandal. Mrs. Fatimetu Dirisu, a trader, said: “This is inexcusable, but it reveals a deeper crisis. When electricity and ice become too expensive, desperation takes over. We need solar-powered cold stations in our markets to help honest traders preserve food without turning to crime.”
For now, consumers are left to navigate a market where freshness can be faked and the price of a beautiful fish may be far more than they bargained for.
