Red tide affects anew coastal waters of Dauis, Tagb. City

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) advised anew the public to refrain from eating, gathering or harvesting, transporting and marketing shellfish from coastal waters of Dauis and Tagbilaran City in Bohol to avoid the Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP).

This develops after Eduardo B. Gongona, Undersecretary for Fisheries, DA/Director, BFAR said that based on the red tide monitoring activities of BFAR and the Local Government Units (LGUs) shellfish samples from these coastal waters are now positive for red tide toxin.

Gongona bared that the PSP toxin level in shellfish samples collected from the said areas is 102.12 – 201.28 MgSTXeq/100g of shellfish meat.

Also based on the same red tide monitoring activities, the latest laboratory results on the shellfishes collected at the coastal waters of Leyte and Carigara Bay in Leyte; Lianga Bay in Surigao del Sur Coastal waters of Biliran Province; and Honda Bay, Puerto Princesa in Palawan are still positive for PSP that is beyond the regulatory limit.

All types of shellfish and Acetes sp. or alamang from the aforementioned coastal areas including Dauis and Tagbilaran City are not safe for human consumption. Fish, squids, shrimps and crabs are safe for human consumption provided that they are fresh and washed thoroughly, and the internal organs such as gills and intestines are removed before cooking, Gongona added.

BFAR Provincial Officer Leo Bongalos said that Gov. Edgar M. Chatto, Mayor Miriam Sumaylo of Dauis and Mayor John Geesnell L. Yap of Tagbilaran City were immediately informed by BFAR Regional Director Allan Poquita after knowing the result of the laboratory even that they have not yet formally received the Shellfish advisory No. 13 which was issued last March 22, 2018.

Bongalos recalled that late in 2016, eating, gathering or harvesting, transporting and marketing shellfish from coastal waters of Dauis and Tagbilaran City were strictly prohibited because of high shellfish toxicity level and was lifted in the first quarter of 2017.

Since then he said they regularly submitted in weekly basis to BFAR laboratory the shellfish samples from the seawaters off K of C Drive, Poblacion II, and parola area in Tagbilaran City; and some areas off Totolan and Riverside, Songculan, Dauis.

Bongalos clarified that even the samples collected which resulted to high shellfish toxicity level came from these areas but the ban covers the coastal waters of Dauis and Tagbilaran City to safeguard public health and to protect the fishery industry in the province of Bohol.

The BFAR and LGUs are continuously monitoring these coastal areas and market places to prevent the selling of shellfish with high PSP toxin level.

He said the ban will be lifted once the shellfish toxicity level registers below the regulatory limit of 60MgSTXeg/100g of shellfish meat.

The latest Shellfish Advisory No. 13, series of 2018 would greatly affect the livelihood among shell gleaners. With an average earning of P500 a day, these gleaners have to maintain a livelihood to send their children to school and for other daily needs. (Atoy Cosap)