K A S H R U T . C O M_©

The following kashrus alert is from the MK dated Feb. 14, 2008 and resent on March 20, 2008.

It has come to our attention that members of our community are purchasing fresh fish sold at stores or fish counters that do not have certification by the VAAD. Currently, no supermarkets have a Kosher certified fish department. It is imperative that the community understand that purchasing fresh fish has extensive restrictions and provisions, and that there are many non-kosher species being sold that closely resemble kosher species.
A shocking example of the dangers involved in this practice has recently come to our attention. A local supermarket has been selling STURGEON and BASA (PANGASIUS, otherwise known as Vietnamese catfish), which are NOT KOSHER, while claiming to its customers that they sell only kosher fish.
The consequences of using non-kosher fish are the same as TREIF meat. If you have bought fish from any unsupervised establishment, and you were unable to positively identify them as kosher fish you need to consult with your Rabbi for further instructions regarding the status of your pots and pans, etc. We are asking members of our community to be aware of this issue and to understand that without a reliable hechsher, one cannot always tell whether or not a fish has scales and fins. It is certainly forbidden to purchase fish that has already been filleted without a Hechsher. We therefore urge our community to purchase their fish in locations that have kosher certification.

Ed. note: Information on purchase of fish can be found at http://www.kashrut.com/articles/fishfaq/