SAMAL, Bataan — Green mussels or tahong are back in Bataan markets on Saturday after the shellfish ban was lifted on Thursday.
“Ngayon okay na, wala nang red tide sa Bataan. Maraming salamat,” said Clarissa Boyo, tahong seller in a makeshift stall here.
She said that one gallon each of tahong and oysters cost P100. She said that talaba or oysters will be available on Sunday yet.
“Nakaka-miss kumain ng tahong. Paborito ito ng mga anak ko,“ said Rina Saldana while buying the shellfish.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources issued a shellfish advisory on February 7, 2019 that the coastal waters in the towns of Orani, Samal, Abucay, Pilar, Orion, Limay and Mariveles and the City of Balanga were free from the red tide toxin.
Samples gathered from the area for three consecutive weeks were found negative of paralytic shellfish poison.
With the advisory, harvesting, gathering and marketing of shellfish in Bataan are now permitted being already safe for human consumption.
On November 24, 2018, BFAR issued a ban on the gathering, marketing and eating of shellfish due to the presence of red tide.
