WARNING VS. SHELLFISH POISONING. Workers haul newly-harvested shellfish in Jiabong, Samar. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources on Friday (Nov. 29, 2019) issued a stern warning against eating shellfish from red tide-affected bays in Eastern Visayas with the numerous social gatherings this holiday season. (PNA file photo)
TACLOBAN CITY – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on Friday issued a stern warning against eating shellfish from red-tide affected bays in Eastern Visayas with the numerous social gatherings this holiday season.
The bureau noted that many cases of paralytic shellfish poisoning are recorded in December due to parties for the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
“There is a lot of drinking spree and celebration and shellfish are a favorite pulutan (food eaten with alcoholic drinks) in coastal communities. We have to issue this stern warning because of the daring nature of Waray-speaking people who just ignore warnings,” BFAR 8 (Eastern Visayas) Director Juan Albaladejo said in a statement.
It was before Christmas in 2016 when shellfish poisoning killed two people and downed 40 others in the towns of Cabucgayan, Kawayan, and Maripipi in Biliran province.
As of this week, listed as red tide-positive areas are Cancabato Bay in Tacloban City; and San Pedro Bay, Irong-irong Bay, and Silanga Bay, all in Samar province.
The presence of red tide in both shellfish meat and the water call for the prohibition of gathering, trading, and consumption of shellfish from identified areas over the possibility of shellfish poisoning.
The BFAR conducts weekly monitoring of seawater in bays hit by red tide in the past, but for positive areas, authorities examine water and meat samples three times a week.
The bureau advised the public to refrain from eating, harvesting, selling, and buying shellfish products and Acetes sp. (small shrimps) from the affected bays until the shellfish toxicity level has gone down below the regulatory level.
Fish caught in these areas are safe for human consumption provided they are fresh, washed, and cooked thoroughly, BFAR said in an advisory. (PNA)
