KALIBO, Aklan – No red tide alert is raised in Western Visayas in the latest shellfish bulletin of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
The provinces of Aklan, Capiz, Iloilo, Guimaras, Antique, and Negros Occidental are free from paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) or toxic red tide.
The shellfish bulletin on November 5, 2024 showed Tigbao River in Makato, Navitas River in Numancia, Palay River in Batan, and the coastal waters of Altavas, Batan and New Washington in Batan Bay in Aklan remain negative for PSP.
However, shellfishes collected in the coastal waters of Tungawan in Zamboanga Sibugay Province; Irong-Irong Bay, Daram Island, Zumarraga Island in Samar; Leyte in Leyte; Cambatutay Bay in Samar; Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur; Tungawan in Zamboanga Sibugay Province; Biliran Island in Biliran province and Carigara Bay in Leyte showed high levels of harmful algal blooms.
The gathering and harvesting of bivalve shellfishes and alamang are prohibited and not safe for human consumption. Squids, crabs and shrimps can still be eaten if they are fresh and thoroughly washed, and internal organs are removed before cooking.
Harmful algal blooms, or HABs, occur when colonies of algae — simple plants that live in the sea and freshwater — grow out of control and produce toxic or harmful effects on people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals and birds. The human illnesses caused by HABs, though rare, can be debilitating or even fatal./PN
