Photo from the web. CTTO
BALANGA CITY — The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources on Tuesday announced the presence of red tide toxin in green mussels gathered in the waters of eight towns and one city along Manila Bay in Bataan and issued an advisory on the temporary ban in the gathering or harvesting, selling, transporting, and eating of shellfish.
Romina Yutoc of BFAR–Bataan provincial fishery office said that the ban was imposed in the towns of Hermosa, Orani, Samal, Abucay, Pilar, Orion, Limay, and Mariveles and the City of Balanga where there are green mussel pens and sources of shellfish like oysters and mussels.
She said that toxin found from samples of mussels gathered for laboratory tests showed shellfish in the area are not safe for human consumption and eating will result in paralytic shellfish poisoning.
Engr. Joey Dizon, provincial agriculture office chief, said samples of shellfish collected showed high toxin level of more than 400 unit grams of Saxotoxin which is far beyond the regulatory limit fit for human consumption which is 60 unit grams.
BFAR said fish harvested in the area are safe for human consumption as long as they are fresh and gills and intestines are taken out before cooking. Crabs and shrimps which are plentiful in Bataan are also exempted from the shellfish ban.
