HARVESTING of all types of shellfish and Acetes sp. or alamang has been prohibited in several coastal waters and bays in the Visayas and Mindanao regions due to the presence of toxic red tide in the areas.

In its Shellfish Bulletin No. 29, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said that the shellfishes collected from 𝗦𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝗮𝘆 (𝗜𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘇; 𝗠𝗮𝗺𝗯𝘂𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗮𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶, 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗸𝗹𝗮𝗻); 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗱𝗿𝗮, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗼𝘅𝗮𝘀 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘇; 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀, 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗹𝗼𝗶𝗹𝗼; 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗮𝘂𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗮𝗴𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗼𝗵𝗼𝗹; 𝗗𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝘀 𝗕𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗭𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗿; 𝗟𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗮 𝗕𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗿; 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲 are still positive for 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗳𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 (𝗣𝗦𝗣) 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗰 𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗱𝗲 that is beyond the regulatory limit.

The BFAR said that all types of shellfish and alamang gathered from the said areas are not safe for human consumption.

However, the BFAR added that fish, squids, shrimps, and crabs gathered in the same areas are safe for human consumption provided that they are fresh and washed thoroughly, and the internal organs such as gills and intestines are removed before cooking.

Meanwhile, the areas that continue to be free from toxic red tide are the coastal waters of Las Pinas, Paranaque, Navotas, Bulacan, and Bataan (Mariveles, Limay, Orion, Pilar, Balanga, Hermosa, Orani, Abucay and Samal) in Manila Bay.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Cory Martinez