THE BUREAU of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has banned the harvest and consumption of shellfish in five provinces in Visayas and Mindanao due to Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP) or toxic red tide.
Affected areas are the coastal waters of Altavas, Batan, and New Washington in Batan Bay and Sapian Bay, which covers Ivisan and Sapian in Capiz, and Mambuquiao and Camanci in Aklan, a BFAR bulletin issued over the weekend said.
Also testing positive for red tide were shellfish from the coastal waters of Panay, Pilar, President Roxas, Roxas City in Capiz, the coastal waters of Gigantes Islands, Carles in Iloilo.
The same goes for the coastal waters of Dauis and Tagbilaran City in Bohol, and Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur.
“All types of shellfish and Acetes sp. or alamang gathered from the areas are not safe for human consumption,” BFAR said.
Ingestion of PSP affected shellfish may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, tingling sensation in the lips and extremities, numbness, and in severe cases, death.
Meanwhile, the consumption of fish, squids, shrimps, and crabs are safe provided that these are fresh and washed thoroughly, and internal organs such as gills and intestines are removed before cooking. — Adrian H. Halili
