Red tide remains in 10 areas

THE BUREAU of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) reported on Tuesday that due to toxic red tide, the harvesting of shellfish in 10 coastal areas in Visayas and Mindanao remains banned.

The BFAR’s Shellfish Bulletin No. 29 enumerated the red tide areas as: Sapian Bay and the coastal waters of Pontevedra and Roxas City in Capiz; Mambuquiao and Camanci in Batan, Aklan; the Gigantes Islands in Carles, Iloilo; the coastal area of Dauis and Tagbilaran City in Bohol; Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur; Lianga Bay in Surigao del Sur; the coastal waters of San Benito, Surigao del Norte.

The bureau said all types of shellfish and Acetes sp. (alamang) gathered from the said areas are not safe for human consumption. However, fish, squids, shrimps, and crabs are safe for human consumption provided that these are washed and gutted before cooking.

Red tide occurs as a result of high concentrations of algae in the water. Human consumption of contaminated shellfish may result in paralytic shellfish poisoning, which affects the nervous system. — Adrian H. Halili