• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The number of areas affected by the toxic red tide increased, as the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said that shellfishes collected from four Samar and Leyte bays also tested positive for paralytic shellfish poison (PSP).
But the BFAR said Aug. 1 that the coastal waters of Bacolod, Negros Island, and surrounding areas remained free of red tide.
The coastal waters of Daram Island, Zumarraga Island, and Cambatutay Bay in Samar, Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar, and Cancabato Bay in Leyte, however, are now positive for PSP, or toxic red tide, aside from the coastal waters of Dauis and Tagbilaran City in Bohol, Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur, and coastal waters of San Benito in Surigao del Norte.
“Shellfishes collected and tested from (these) coastal waters are still positive for PSP that is beyond the regulatory limit,” BFAR officer-in-charge Isidro Velayo Jr. said in the latest advisory.
All types of shellfish and alamang gathered from these areas are not safe for human consumption, he added. “Fish, squids, shrimps, and crabs are safe provided that they are fresh and washed thoroughly, and the internal organs, such as gills and intestines, are removed before cooking.” | CGC
