CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — The red tide alert in waters off Pampanga and Bataan has turned month-old through the Christmas season, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said.
Another round of laboratory tests done by the BFAR Regional Fisheries Laboratory here indicated that shellfish samples collected from waters off the coasts of the two provinces showed above average for paralytic shellfish poison.
“Shellfish samples collected from the coastal waters of Bataan and Pampanga tested positive from the paralytic shellfish poison,” the BFAR said.
“Shellfish types like tahong, talaba, and halaan are affected by the poisonous red tide toxin as well as alamang,” the BFAR said, adding, however, that fish, crab, shrimp, and squid are safe for human consumption.
The red tide alert was issued last Nov. 24. It asked consumers to refrain from the affected aquatic products until the ban against them is lifted.
Oysters and mussels from Bataan are usually sold in markets in nearby provinces as well as in Metro Manila.
“The public is advised to refrain from eating, gathering or harvesting, transporting and marketing shellfish from the coastal areas in this province until such time that the toxicity level has gone below the regulatory limit,” BFAR stressed.
