The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) warned that the coastal waters surrounding Bataan and Zambales in Central Luzon and Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and Misamis Occidental in Mindanao remain contaminated by red tide toxin.
BFAR issued the warning as its Marine Biotoxin Monitoring Section (MBMS) Shellfish Bulletin issued on Tuesday (April 17), saying that based on the laboratory results of BFAR and local government units (LGUs), shellfishes collected at Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur; Murcielagos Bay in Zamboanga del Norte and Missamis Occidental; Masinloc Bay in Zambales and Bataan coastal waters affecting Mariveles, Limay, Orion, Pilar, Balanga, Orani, Abucay and Samal towns are still positive of paralytic shellfish poison beyond regulatory limit.
BFAR-MBMS head Juan R. Relox Jr., in a telephone interview, said the bulletin serves as a warning to residents to refrain from harvesting, selling, buying and eating all types of shellfish and Acetes specie or “alamang.”
Relox said regardless of the degree of toxin in the shellfish, “we are still giving out this alert status to keep safe and healthy the people around the areas with this poisonous toxin.”
The number of areas with red tide toxin has been down to five from the previous seven.
Now safe from the toxin are the coastal waters of Bolinao, Anda, Alaminos and Wawa, Bani in Pangasinan; and the Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar.
Relox said red tide toxin in the Zamboanga provinces had already been there for almost two years.
”We are regularly coming out with this shellfish bulletin to continuously warn our countrymen of the presence of this red tide toxin,” he said.
Ssource: Phil News Agency, Photo Credit tiradabalita.com
