Red tide up in Eastern Visayas

Ttide

Miguel,

HE 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 are while

said

Barugo,

shellfish infected

Capoocan in Leyte. with seawater

Carigara,

meat collected in nine bays in the region the red 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 and

Also included are the coastal

waters toxic

These are

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 Irongirong

Bay in Catbalogan, Samar.

Laboratory biotoxin the examination conducted by BFAR regional marine laboratory microorganism coastal that here and in Catbalogan City in Samar found pyridinium bahamense, a causes PSP in four bays in the region. waters of

Biliran Island; Cambatutay Bay in

Tarangnan, Samar; coastal waters

of Leyte, Leyte; and coastal waters of Guiuan, Eastern Samar.

“To

The banned protect the

“Fish, of the fisheries trading

Acetes shellfish poisoning. squid, public, we issue this warning as precautionary advice to the public to refrain from gathering, selling, and eating all types of shellfishes,” BFAR said. bureau and sp. also consumption locally known as “alamang” harvested from said bays to avoid possible

Local government units are advised to regulate the gathering, marketing, and transport of shellfish from the infested areas. shrimp, and crab are such as removed safe to before advisory added. eat “provided that they are fresh and washed thoroughly and internal organs gills and intestines are cooking”, from Catbalogan rushed to a hospital the

On October 13, a four-yearold girl died and four other children

City were 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. from

Red tide is a term used to describe a phenomenon where the water is discolored by high algal biomass of or algae. ingesting (Sarwell Meniano) the concentration

PSP bivalve occurs shellfish (such as mussels, oysters, and clams) that contain toxins.

Green mussels collected in Maqueda Bay in Jiabong, Samar. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has issued another warning against the consumption of shellfish with several areas in Eastern Visayas still infested with red tide. (PNA file photo)