Red tide alert raised in 4 Visayas Mindanao areas

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has imposed a shellfish ban in four areas in the Visayas and Mindanao.

This developed after water samples collected in the coasts of Dauis and Tagbilaran City in Bohol as well as in Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur and San Benito in Surigao del Norte tested positive for paralytic shellfish poison or red tide.

“All types of shellfish and acetes sp or alamang harvested from these areas are not safe for human consumption,” the BFAR said in its latest bulletin.

Fish, squid, shrimps and crabs caught in these areas are safe for human consumption, provided these are fresh and washed thoroughly, and their internal organs such as gills and intestines removed before cooking, the BFAR added.

Consumption of shellfish affected by red tide causes numbness, drowsiness and respiratory paralysis.

Meanwhile, Honda Bay in Puerto Princesa, Palawan has been declared free from red tide.