Panga problem in Palma

A CONTROVERSIAL species of catfish native to south-east Asia will continue to be fed to Balearic schoolchildren, despite some Palma schools banning it. The fish, known as panga in Spain, has also now been banned from the Carrefour supermarket across the country.

Several Palma schools, and others on the mainland, have stopped serving the white fish, found abundantly in the Mekong river and very cheap globally. They have responded to fears from parents about allegedly high mercury levels found in the fish.

The Balearic health ministry has found no evidence to suggest there are health risks to children. Carrefour has banned Panga on environmental grounds, following claims from Greenpeace that its farming contributes to heavy pollution in the Mekong.

Many also believe that Spain shouldn’t be undercutting local fishermen by importing vast quantities of the fish from Asia. Spain is the largest consumer of Panga in the EU despite having some of the most abundant fishing opportunities in the continent.