CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Another test conducted on Valentines Day by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) indicated that despite the relatively cool weather in the country, the red tide in the coastal waters of eight towns in Bataan and the Masinloc Bay in Zambales has not abated at all.
Thus, the BFAR renewed yesterday its appeal to the public to refrain from gathering and eating shellfish from the affected areas. It reiterated that “red tide toxin causes paralytic shellfish poisoning.”
Affected by the ban in Bataan are the municipalities of Mariveles, Limay, Orion, Pilar, Abucay, Samal and Orani and the city of Balanga.
This in on top of red tide confirmation earlier this week in the coastal waters of Bani, Anda and Bolinao towns in Pangasinan, as well as the Dumangquillas bay in Zamboanga del Sur and the Murcielagos Bay in Zamboanga del Norte and Misamis Occidental.
BFAR said the red tide persistence was somewhat unusual when weather is cool, as red tide is usually associated with rising ocean temperatures.
Pacific Coast of the United States, red tide cases have been increasing since about 1991 and scientists found correlation between the increase of Pacific red tides and other harmful algae blooms with a rise in ocean temperature of approximately one degree Celsius as well as increased nutrients in coastal waters from sewage and fertilizers, the BFAR noted.
BFAR also cited studies indicating that some red tides and harmful algae blooms along the Pacific coast also have been associated with the warm El Niño phenomenon without any link to pollution.
BFAR Central Luzon information officer Lanie Lamyong cited latest tests indicating that “current red tide toxin level in shellfish samples collected from the coastal waters of Bataan and Masinloc Bay are still significantly higher than the 60g STXg per100g tolerable limit.”
Lamyong again stressed that fishes, squids, shrimps and crabs harvested from the affected areas are, however, safe to eat “for as long as they are fresh and washed thoroughly and their internal organs such as gills and intestines are removed before cooking.”
BFAR said there is no single cause of red tides and other harmful algae blooms in bodies of water but there is general belief that apart from hot weather, coastal pollution from human sewage, agricultural runoff and other sources contribute to red tides.
The current red tide phenomenon in the country was first reported off the coast of Bataan in November last year.
