ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has warned the public that all types of shellfish and Acetes, a genus of small shrimp that resemble krill, gathered from three provinces in the southern Philippines are not safe for human consumption.
The warning came out after waters in Zamboanga del Sur’s Dumanguillas Bay, and in Lianga Bay in Surigao del Sur; and coastal waters of San Benito in Surigao del Norte were tested positive for paralytic shellfish poison or toxic red tide.
Aside
from those places, the BFAR said shellfish from the coastal waters of
Pontevedra in Capiz province in western Visayas and Dauis Island and Tagbilaran
City in Bohol province in central Visayas were also unsafe human consumption
due to the presence of toxic red tide.
“All types of shellfish and Acetes sp. alamang gathered from the areas shown above are not safe for human consumption,” BFAR said.
It said fish, squids, shrimps, and crabs caught in those areas
are safe for human consumption provided that they are fresh and washed
thoroughly, and internal organs such as gills and intestines are removed before
cooking.
Toxic red tide is caused by
harmful algal blooms, which can lead to severe health problems when
shellfish and other seafood are contaminated.
Harmful algal blooms occur when colonies of algae - plant-like organisms that live in the sea and freshwater - grow out of control while producing toxic or harmful effects on people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, and birds. The human illnesses caused by harmful algal blooms, though rare, can be debilitating or even fatal. (Mindanao Examiner)
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