BALANGA CITY, Bataan – The provincial agriculture office on Sunday announced an advisory from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources banning the eating, gathering, harvesting, transporting and marketing of shellfish from seven towns and one city in Bataan located along the coastal areas.
Affected are the towns of Orani, Samal, Abucay, Pilar, Orion, Limay and Mariveles and Balanga City that are all adjacent to Manila Bay. Under the ban are tahong and talaba which are plentiful in Bataan and other shellfishes.
Imelda Inieto, provincial agriculturist, said shellfish samples collected were positive from the red tide toxin considered as more toxic and deadlier than in 1999 when Bataan was last hit by the dreaded poison attacking shellfishes.
Two died while scores were hospitalized from paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) after eating tahong in 1999.
Present in the shellfish samples this time was alexandrium minutum organism with 293-1,009 unit grams STXeq/100 grams of shellfish meat while in 1999, the organism found was pyrodinum bahamese. The tolerable limit is below 60 ugSTXeq/100 grams shellfish meat.
Alexandrium minutum organism infected shellfish in Bolinao, Pangasinan in 2003.
Inieto said she has immediately informed all municipal and city agriculturists, the police, Department of Health and provincial officials headed by Gov. Enrique Garcia of the shellfish ban.
“Gusto ni Governor Garcia na hindi na maulit ang nangyari noong 1999, kaya bukod sa text brigade na inactivate natin, magpapaskel pa rin tayo ng mga advisory sa maraming dako ng ating lalawigan,” the provincial agriculturist said.
She made it clear, however, that fish, crabs and shrimps are exempted from the ban provided they are fresh and washed thoroughly. The internal organs such as grills and intestines of fish should be removed before cooking.
Guillermo del Rosario, member of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council of Abucay, said the tahong sample examined by BFAR and found positive of the Red Tide toxin came from the Abucay public market.
The fisherman leader showed to this correspondent rows and rows of tahong pens (tahungan) made of bamboo poles along Manila Bay in the towns of Samal and Abucay and Balanga City. Tahong cling on the bamboo poles.
The former blue sea water are now colored red because of pollution, del Rosario said. The provincial agriculturist said that pollution contributes to the creation of a favorable environment for the organism that causes red tide.
In Samal, Bataan, Mayor Generosa Malibiran said she has issued an executive order temporarily banning the eating, gathering and selling of shellfish.
“I have created a text brigade to help in the immediate dissemination of the ban and to inform me if there violators,” the lady mayor said.
In the morning of Sunday, a big volume of talaba was still for sale along the highway of Samal. “Ligtas itong kainin pati ang tahong dahil marami kaming kinain nito kagabi,” sellers said while eating tahong. A child was among those who ate the banned shellfish.
The sellers said they received the advisory on the ban from the municipal government only afternoon of Sunday.
“Nandito na ang aming paninda na galing sa Bulacan bago namin natanggap ang pagbabawal,” they said.
But they later changed their mind and said they would return the talaba from where they got them.
Dr. Bong Galicia said that a high dose or small dose of the red tide toxin that causes paralytic shellfish poisoning is of high risk especially to children and persons with weak body resistance. “Ang ilang sintomas nito ay pagsusuka at pananakit ng tiyan at ng ulo kaya dapat agad-agad dalhin sa pinakamalapit na doktor sapagka’t nakakamatay ito, the physician, also vice-mayor of Orani, said.
“Maaaring induce ang pagsuka para matanggal ang natitirang nakaing shellfish kung kaya pero ang pinakamahalaga ay ang dalhin agad sa health clinic o ospital,” Galicia said.
Affected are the towns of Orani, Samal, Abucay, Pilar, Orion, Limay and Mariveles and Balanga City that are all adjacent to Manila Bay. Under the ban are tahong and talaba which are plentiful in Bataan and other shellfishes.
Imelda Inieto, provincial agriculturist, said shellfish samples collected were positive from the red tide toxin considered as more toxic and deadlier than in 1999 when Bataan was last hit by the dreaded poison attacking shellfishes.
Two died while scores were hospitalized from paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) after eating tahong in 1999.
Present in the shellfish samples this time was alexandrium minutum organism with 293-1,009 unit grams STXeq/100 grams of shellfish meat while in 1999, the organism found was pyrodinum bahamese. The tolerable limit is below 60 ugSTXeq/100 grams shellfish meat.
Alexandrium minutum organism infected shellfish in Bolinao, Pangasinan in 2003.
Inieto said she has immediately informed all municipal and city agriculturists, the police, Department of Health and provincial officials headed by Gov. Enrique Garcia of the shellfish ban.
“Gusto ni Governor Garcia na hindi na maulit ang nangyari noong 1999, kaya bukod sa text brigade na inactivate natin, magpapaskel pa rin tayo ng mga advisory sa maraming dako ng ating lalawigan,” the provincial agriculturist said.
She made it clear, however, that fish, crabs and shrimps are exempted from the ban provided they are fresh and washed thoroughly. The internal organs such as grills and intestines of fish should be removed before cooking.
Guillermo del Rosario, member of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council of Abucay, said the tahong sample examined by BFAR and found positive of the Red Tide toxin came from the Abucay public market.
The fisherman leader showed to this correspondent rows and rows of tahong pens (tahungan) made of bamboo poles along Manila Bay in the towns of Samal and Abucay and Balanga City. Tahong cling on the bamboo poles.
The former blue sea water are now colored red because of pollution, del Rosario said. The provincial agriculturist said that pollution contributes to the creation of a favorable environment for the organism that causes red tide.
In Samal, Bataan, Mayor Generosa Malibiran said she has issued an executive order temporarily banning the eating, gathering and selling of shellfish.
“I have created a text brigade to help in the immediate dissemination of the ban and to inform me if there violators,” the lady mayor said.
In the morning of Sunday, a big volume of talaba was still for sale along the highway of Samal. “Ligtas itong kainin pati ang tahong dahil marami kaming kinain nito kagabi,” sellers said while eating tahong. A child was among those who ate the banned shellfish.
The sellers said they received the advisory on the ban from the municipal government only afternoon of Sunday.
“Nandito na ang aming paninda na galing sa Bulacan bago namin natanggap ang pagbabawal,” they said.
But they later changed their mind and said they would return the talaba from where they got them.
Dr. Bong Galicia said that a high dose or small dose of the red tide toxin that causes paralytic shellfish poisoning is of high risk especially to children and persons with weak body resistance. “Ang ilang sintomas nito ay pagsusuka at pananakit ng tiyan at ng ulo kaya dapat agad-agad dalhin sa pinakamalapit na doktor sapagka’t nakakamatay ito, the physician, also vice-mayor of Orani, said.
“Maaaring induce ang pagsuka para matanggal ang natitirang nakaing shellfish kung kaya pero ang pinakamahalaga ay ang dalhin agad sa health clinic o ospital,” Galicia said.
