Red tide alert up in Ilocos region

SAN FERNANDO, La Union , Philippines  – The regional office of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) here has alerted local governments in Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, La Union and Pangasinan, comprising Region 1, to require market inspectors to strictly monitor the entry of shellfish which may be contaminated with the red tide toxin from the towns of Bolinao and Anda in Pangasinan.

Bolinao and Anda are the main sources of shellfish being sold in markets in the Ilocos region.

Nestor Domenden, BFAR regional director, has urged local chief executives to temporarily ban the selling and consumption of shellfish and alamang caught in the waters of Bolinao and Anda.

Domenden requested market inspectors, quarantine officers and other concerned market officials to demand for “auxiliary invoice” or “clearance for domestic movement” from fish and seashell transporters or dealers to ensure that the marine products did not come from Bolinao and Anda towns.

Elsewhere in the country, red tide microorganisms are reported present in Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur, Bislig Bay in Bislig City, Surigao del Sur; Maritanao Bay in Eastern Samar; and Murcielagos Bay in Zamboanga del Norte and Misamis Occidental.

All types of shellfish and alamang from these areas are not safe for human consumption because of the paralytic shellfish poison. Fish, squids, shrimps and crabs are safe to eat provided they are fresh, washed thoroughly and their internal organs removed before cooking.

Red tide is a naturally occurring, higher-than-normal concentration of the micros-copic algae Karenia brevis.  

It produces a toxin that affects the central nervous system of fish, causing paralysis and difficulty of breathing and making them unfit for human consumption.