BFAR detects red tide in VisMin waters

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said on Tuesday that some areas in Visayas and Mindanao were detected to have toxic red tides beyond the regulatory limit.

In its Shellfish Bulletin No. 11, the Agriculture-attached bureau reported that shellfish meat samples collected from the coastal waters of Dauis and Tagbilaran City in Bohol, Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur, and the coastal waters of San Benito in Surigao del Norte remain positive for Paralytic Shellfish Poison, or PSP.

According to the Department of Health, red tide poisoning is a life-threatening syndrome accumulated through the consumption of shellfish such as mussel (tahong), oyster (talaba), and white clams (halaan) with red tide microorganisms.

Hence, BFAR warned the public that shellfish harvested from the said coastal waters are unsafe for human consumption.

All types of Acetes sp. or alamang in the said areas are also poisonous.

The public is urged not to harvest, sell, buy, or eat the aquaculture products harvested in the mentioned areas.