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Warning issued against consuming shellfish, alamang from Matarinao Bay
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on Thursday warned against harvesting, selling, buying and eating shellfish and alamang from Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar since it is currently found to be infested with the red tide toxin. This is the first time that red tide occurred in Matarinao Bay, Jun Relox, head of the BFAR-Marine Biotoxin office, told GMANews.TV in a phone interview. No exact reason that can be cited for the occurrence but theories state that the abnormal increase in the nutrients, salinity, temperature, or sunlight contribute to red tide, he added. The agency also maintained its red tide warning over Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur; Bislig Bay in Bislig City, Surigao del Sur and Murcielagos Bay in Zamboanga del Norte and Misamis Occidental. Recent laboratory tests showed shellfish collected in the said areas “are positive for paralytic shellfish poison that is beyond the regulatory limit," the BFAR Shellfish Bulletin No. 6 said. “All types of shellfish and accetes sp or alamang gathered from the areas as shown above are not safe for human consumption," the bulletin added. Red tide poisoning is caused by the presence of the toxic dinoflagellate known as Pyrodinium bahamense var compressum in shellfishes. Being a filter feeder, mussels and oysters accumulates the dinoflagellate in its system yet is not affected by the toxin. On the other hand, people who eat the contaminated shellfish are very sensitive to the toxin, and in lethal doses could cause death. Also listed in the bulletin were areas that are still free from red tide toxins such as:
- coastal waters of Cavite, Las Piñas, Parañaque, Navotas, Bulacan and Bataan in Manila Bay;
- coast waters of Alaminos, Anada, Bolinao and Wawa, Bani in Pangasinan; Masinloc Bay in Zambales;
- coastal waters of Milagros and Mandaon in Masbate;
- Inner Malampaya Sound in Taytay and Honda Bay in Palawan
- coastal waters of Pilar, President Roxas, Pontevedra, Panay, Roxas City, Ivisan and Saplan in Capiz;
- coastal waters of Pontevedra in Negros Occidental
- Irong-irong, Maqueda and Villareal Bays in Samar;
- Ormoc, San Pedro, Cancabato and Carigara Bays in Leyte;
- Biliran waters in Biliran province;
- Hinatuan and Lianga Bays in Surigao del Sur;
- Balite Bay in Mati, Davao Oriental;
- coastal waters of Kabasalan in Sibuguey Bay, Zamboanga Sibugay and Juag Lagoon in Matnog,Sorsogon
