Some people are fishing in Lake Qaraoun even though its fish is not safe for human consumption, the Litani River Authority warned on Saturday.
The authority said in a statement that ministries and concerned authorities are responsible for taking the necessary action to protect the health of consumers and prevent fishing in the lake.
Years of neglect have led to the pollution of a significant area of Lake Qaraoun.
The high levels of pollution, believed to be the result of the inflow of untreated water from numerous factories, have led to the poisoning and death of countless fish.
In May, the Lebanese Army said that it was collecting tons of dead fish at the lake, situated in the West Beqaa region.
Laboratory tests have deemed the fish that live in the lake unsafe for human consumption. Despite that, the economic crisis has pushed some people to consume them as well as sell them in local markets.
Addressing politicians and those involved in the electoral process, the Litani River Authority stressed that the collection of electoral votes comes through “addressing the problem of pollution and holding polluters accountable, not by encouraging fishing from sewage and eliminating the remaining population in Lebanon.”
