Protracted red tide alert puts Bohol markets in dire sales

CEBU, Philippines — As the red tide alert already stretched to more than half a month already, wet market vendors in Bohol have started to cringe over the possibility of a repeat of the 2015-2016 experience when the red tide alert over the same areas lasted for three quarters.

The vendors said the red tide alert has given them the biggest blow in sales since the longest red tide alert hoisted over Dauis town and Tagbilaran City waters from the middle of 2015 up to March of 2016. And on March this year, another red tide alert has been hoisted over these areas, as well as in neighboring places in Leyte, causing a big dent on their business.

The vendors said they tried to rely on sales from fish, but its supply has suddenly slumped also because of the bad weather that befell on Bohol this week. They said they are now suffering from very low daily sales, and there is no sign yet of a turnaround.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources raised the red tide alert, under Shellfish Bulleting No. 11, on March 22 this year because starting that date, shellfish from the waters off Dauis and Tagbilaran were positive of red tide organisms and unsafe for consumption.

From that time on to this day, shellfish samples collected from the coastal waters of Dauis and Tagbilaran proved to contain red tide toxins at a level above the regulatory limit of 60 units per 100 grams of shellfish meat.

BFAR found that paralytic shellfish poisoning toxin level in shellfish samples from these coastal waters reached the range of 102.12 to 201.28 units per 100 grams of shellfish meat.

BFAR Director Eduardo Gongona stated that “coastal waters of Dauis and Tagbilaran City in Bohol are now positive for red tide toxin." Other areas positive for red tide are the coastal waters of Leyte and Carigara Bay in Leyte, and Biliran province.

While the red tide alert is hoisted only over these areas, vendors said consumers have avoided buying even shellfish and other mollusks gathered from other areas.

“All types of shellfish and alamang gathered” from these areas are not safe, said Gongona, who further explained: “Fish, squids, shrimps and crabs are safe for human consumption provided that they are fresh and washed thoroughly, and internal organs such as gills and intestines are removed before cooking.”

Still, consumers have been wary, avoiding shellfish and other mollusks regardless of their origin, the vendors lamented, but understood their apprehensions.

Meanwhile, Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto issued a memorandum to all mayors to advise their respective constituents to refrain from eating, gathering or harvesting, transporting and selling shellfish from the waters of Dauis and Tagbilaran, citing the BFAR findings.

Chatto had advised the public to wait until the toxin level of shellfish samples from Dauis and Tagbilaran goes down below the regulatory limit and that an advisory will be issued when such time comes.