Red tide invades Eastern Visayas waters

TACLOBAN CITY — The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Eastern Visayas reported two more waters in the region as infected with red tide toxins.

The BFAR-8 said Cancabato Bay in Tacloban City and Irong-Irong Bay in Catbalogan City are positive of toxic microorganism that causes paralytic shellfish poisoning based on seawater samples collected from the two areas.

"To safeguard human lives, we are issuing this warning as a precautionary advice to the public to refrain from gathering, selling, and eating all types of shellfishes and Acetes sp. locally known as alamang or hipon from these bays," BFAR stated in its local shellfish bulletin on Thursday.

It earlier declared the coastal waters of Guiuan and Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar as positive of red tide based on laboratory tests on shellfish meat gathered from the said waters.

On the other hand, BFAR-8 also declared the blue-crab rich San Pedro Bay in Basey, Samar as already free of the fatal toxins.

The agency, together with the local government areas, has warned the public against gathering, eating and selling of shellfish gathered from these waters.

The BFAR central office has also declared the coastal waters of Roxas City, Sapian Bay, the coastal waters of Panay in Capiz, Pilar and President Roxas all in Capiz, as well as Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur, coastal waters of Milagros in Masbate, the coastal waters of Dauis and Tagbilaran City in Bohol, and Lianga Bay in Surigao del Sur as all infected with red tide.

The BFAR asked local government units to heighten their watch against the gathering, trading, and consumption of shellfish to prevent the incidence of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning which can occur minutes after ingesting bivalve shellfish — such as mussels, oysters, and clams — that contain red tide toxins.

Early PSP symptoms include tingling of the lips and tongue and may progress to tingling of fingers and toes and then loss of control of arms and legs, followed by difficulty in breathing.