(File photo courtesy of PTV)
BALANGA CITY, Bataan – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has lifted the shellfish ban in Bataan after samples collected in the coastal towns and this city were found negative for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP).
Provincial agriculturist Joey Roberto Dizon said in an advisory on Wednesday night that BFAR issued Shellfish Advisory No. 08 dated March 2, 2022, based on the results of red tide monitoring activities of the fishery agency and the local government units (LGUs).
Negative results for the PSP or red tide toxin were obtained from three consecutive weeks of sampling in the towns of Hermosa, Orani, Samal, Abucay, Pilar, Orion, Limay, Mariveles, and Balanga City.
BFAR declared the shellfish ban on Nov. 6, 2021, and Feb. 25, 2022, after shellfish raised in these coastal areas were tested not fit for human consumption due to the presence of red tide.
With the lifting of the ban, Dizon said eating, gathering, and/or harvesting and marketing of shellfish from the eight towns and a city are now permitted.
He said BFAR and the LGUs are continuously monitoring the coastal waters of Bataan to safeguard public health and to protect the fishery industry. (PNA)
