Shellfish from red tide areas still unsafe to eat

Shellfish from seven provinces affected by red tide remains unfit for human consumption, Department of Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral said, citing a report of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. These areas are the Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur; Bislig Bay in Bislig City, Surigao del Sur; Murcielagos Bay in Zamboanga del Norte and Misamis Occidental, and Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar. Harvesting and selling of all types of shellfish, including alamang, from these places are prohibited. “Fish, squids, shrimps, and crabs are safe to eat, provided that they are fresh and washed thoroughly, and its internal organs such as gills and intestines are removed before cooking," she noted. Symptoms of shellfish poisoning include facial numbness, headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, breathing difficulty, abdominal cramps and weakness or paralysis of one or more extremities. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should be brought to a health care facility immediately for proper treatment, Cabral said. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV