THE BUREAU of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources issued another warning against the consumption of shellfish as several areas in Eastern Visayas are still infested with red tide.
BFAR said shellfish meat collected in nine bays in the region are
infected with the red tide while seawater samples from four bays have been
contaminated with red tide toxins.
Under shellfish bulletin no. 23, listed as positive for paralytic
shellfish poisoning (PSP) are Maqueda Bay affecting the towns of Jiabong,
Motiong, Paranas, San Sebastian, Calbiga, Pinabacdao, and Hinabangan in Samar;
Villareal Bay in Villareal, Samar; and Carigara Bay in Babatngon, San Miguel, Barugo,
Carigara, and Capoocan in Leyte.
Also included are the coastal waters of Daram, Samar; San Pedro
Bay in Basey, Samar; Matarinao Bay in General MacArthur, Hernani, Quinapondan,
and Salcedo in Eastern Samar; Cancabato Bay in this city; coastal waters of
Zumarraga, Samar; and Irong-irong Bay in Catbalogan, Samar.
Laboratory examination conducted by BFAR regional marine biotoxin
laboratory here and in Catbalogan City in Samar found pyridinium bahamense, a
toxic microorganism that causes PSP in four bays in the region. These are the
coastal waters of Biliran Island; Cambatutay Bay in Tarangnan, Samar; coastal
waters of Leyte, Leyte; and coastal waters of Guiuan, Eastern Samar.
“To protect the public, we issue this warning as precautionary
advice to the public to refrain from gathering, selling, and eating all types
of shellfishes,” BFAR said.
The fisheries bureau also banned the trading and consumption of
Acetes sp. locally known as "alamang" harvested from said bays to
avoid possible shellfish poisoning.
Local government units are advised to regulate the gathering,
marketing, and transport of shellfish from the infested areas.
"Fish, squid, shrimp, and crab are safe to eat “provided that
they are fresh and washed thoroughly and internal organs such as gills and
intestines are removed before cooking", the advisory added.
On October 13, a four-year-old girl died and four other children
from Catbalogan City were rushed to a hospital after eating red tide-infected
shellfish.
In Daram, Samar, two children died and four of their family
members were hospitalized on Sept. 13 after eating red tide-infected green
mussels. Also in Daram town, six people were rushed to a hospital on Oct. 10
after suffering severe PSP symptoms such as numbness, vomiting, and abdominal
pain.
Red tide is a term used to describe a phenomenon where the water
is discolored by high algal biomass or the concentration of algae. PSP occurs
from ingesting bivalve shellfish (such as mussels, oysters, and clams) that
contain toxins. (Sarwell Meniano)
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