TACLOBAN CITY — Five bodies of water in three provinces in Eastern Visayas were declared positive of red tide after shellfish meat gathered from these waters were tested to contain toxins that are beyond the regulatory limit.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), in a shellfish bulletin issued on Wednesday, identified as positive of red tide the water surrounding the islands of Daram and Zumarraga in Samar; Cambatutay Bay in Tarangnan, Samar; Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar; and Cancabato Bay in Tacloban City.

Except for Cancabato Bay, the BFAR regional office has been closely monitoring the four other waters in the past weeks with local red tide warning in place due to the high presence of toxic algae in the seawater samples.

BFAR-8 regional information officer Christine Goceta said local red tide warning is issued in areas where the water is tested positive of Pyrodinimum bahamense, a toxic microorganism that causes Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP).

Goceta said a local red tide warning is issued as a precautionary advice to the public to refrain from gathering, selling, and eating all types of shellfish and acetes sp, locally known as alamang, to avoid possible shellfish poisoning.

“Usually it takes days or weeks from the time we see a high-level of toxins in water up to the time when the toxins in shellfish meat go beyond the regulatory level,” Goceta said.

Aside from the five areas mentioned in the latest shellfish bulletin, six other waters in Eastern Visayas are placed under local red tide warning.

These are the coastal waters of Biliran Island; Villareal Island, Maqueda Bay, Irong-Irong Bay, coastal waters of Calbayog City, all in Samar; and Carigara Bay in Leyte.

Villareal Island, Maqueda Bay and Daram Island are the richest source of green mussels in Eastern Visayas where harvest from these areas regularly supplies some parts of Luzon and Mindanao.

BFAR-8 said fish, squid, shrimp, and crab from these waters are safe to consume as long as they are fresh, their internal organs such as intestines and gills are removed, and they are thoroughly washed with running water.

Aside from the five waters in Eastern Visayas, BFAR central office also declared as red tide positive the coastal waters of Dauis and Tagbilaran City in Bohol; Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur; and coastal waters of San Benito in Surigao del Norte.

Meanwhile, BFAR warned the public not to consume shellfish harvested from some areas in Visayas and Mindanao after testing positive for PSP, or toxic red tide.

Based on the fisheries bureau’s Shellfish Bulletin No. 17 released on Thursday, shellfish from Dauis and Tagbilaran City in Bohol, Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur, and the coastal waters of San Benito in Surigao del Norte were detected with PSP.

Likewise, the coastal waters of Daram Island, Zumarraga Island and Cambatutay Bay in Samar; Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar; and Cancabato Bay in Leyte have also been found to have a toxic red tide that is beyond the regulatory limit.