(File photo courtesy of PTV)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on Thursday said the shellfish ban in Bataan that was raised on Nov. 6, 2021, is still in effect.
As per BFAR Bulletin No. 3, shellfish samples collected from nine Bataan towns still tested positive for the red tide toxin causing paralytic shellfish poisoning.
Covered by the ban are those raised and gathered from the towns of Hermosa, Orani, Samal, Abucay, Balanga City, Pilar, Orion, Limay, and Mariveles.
“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 National Director Eduardo Gongona said in an advisory.
The regulatory limit for shellfish to be safe for human consumption is 60 unit grams of toxin per 100 grams of shellfish meat.
Fish are safe for human consumption as long as they are fresh and with gills and intestines removed before cooking. (PNA)
