Tacloban City — Maqueda Bay, the main source of green mussels in Eastern Visayas, is now red tide-positive, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said in a recent advisory.

It added that shellfish meat gathered from the bay and Puerto Bay in Puerto Princesa tested positive for paralytic shellfish poison beyond safe levels.

Maqueda Bay covers the Samar towns of Jiabong, Motiong, Paranas, San Sebastian, Calbiga, Pinabacdao and Hinabangan. It supplies green mussels to markets nationwide.

Thousands of families in the region depend on mussel gathering for a living.

For three weeks, Maqueda Bay was under a local red tide warning after seawater samples showed red tide toxins. But shellfish meat was still safe to eat.

Despite the warning, fresh green mussels and oysters were sold openly in Jiabong.

“What we had earlier was only a local red tide warning which is just a precautionary advice with no legal repercussion for those who will not heed the advice,” said Christine Goceta, BFAR-8 regional information officer.

She added that the shellfish ban started Friday evening, and stressed that local governments should impose bans when a local red tide warning is issued to prevent paralytic shellfish poisoning.

BFAR banned the harvesting, eating, and collecting of all shellfish and alamang from red tide-positive areas. Violators face penalties.

At least eight Eastern Visayas waters are now red tide-positive — Daram Island, Zumarraga Island, Cambatutay Bay, Irong-Irong Bay, Maqueda Bay, Villareal Island in Samar; Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar; and Cancabato Bay in Tacloban City.

Three other areas are under local red tide warning — Biliran Island, Calbayog City and Carigara Bay in Leyte.