CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) issued an advisory Monday banning the consumption of shellfish caught in the coastal waters of Bataan due to red tide.
Based on the latest laboratory results of BFAR, shellfish samples collected from Bataan’s waters tested positive for the paralytic shellfish poison.
“The public is advised to refrain from eating, gathering or harvesting, transporting and marketing shellfish from the coastal waters of Bataan until such time that the toxicity level has gone below the regulatory limit,” BFAR officer-in-charge Director Juan Albaladejo said in an advisory released Monday.
Laboratory results showed that shellfish samples collected in the coastal waters of Bataan have 451.41 unit grams of Saxotoxin per 100 grams of shellfish meat, which is beyond the regulatory limit of 60 unit grams of Saxotoxin per 100 grams.
Included in the ban are shellfish from the towns of Mariveles, Limay, Orion, Pilar, Hermosa, Orani, Abucay, Samal, and the City of Balanga.
Albaladejo, however, said that fish harvested in those areas are safe for human consumption provided they are fresh and washed thoroughly and their internal organs such as gills and intestines are removed before cooking.
He said BFAR and the provincial government of Bataan are continuously monitoring the affected areas to safeguard public health and protect the fishery industry. (PNA)
