MINDANAO MAJOR BAYS SHELLFISH FACES UNSAFE TO EAT – BFAR

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY –The Northern Mindanao Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources advised Friday that Shellfish collected from Murcielagos Bay at the boundary of Misamis Occidental, region 10 and Zamboanga del Norte, in Region 9, continues to be positive for paralytic shellfish poison that is beyond the regulatory limit.

BFAR region 10 Officer in charge Asssuncion J. Maputol has advised the public not to harvest, eat, sell and to buy shellfish coming those places due to the red tide in Murceillagos Bay that covers the two provinces.

Maputol said that the advisory was based on the latest laboratory result of Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the Local Government Unit concerned as published in the shellfish Bulletin No. 30 issued by the Inter-agency committee on Environmental Health of the National Red Tide Task Force recently.

“Also prohibited to eat are the shellfish collected in other four areas such as; Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur, Bislig Bay in Bislig City, Surigao del Sur, Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar and Sorsogon Bay in Sorsogon”, Maputol stressed.
She said, all types of shellfish and Acetes specie or “alamang” gathered from these areas are NOT SAFE for human consumption, but fish, squids, shrimps and crabs, are safe to eat, provided they are fresh and washed thoroughly and their internal organs, such as gills and intestines are removed before cooking.

Meanwhile she said the following coastal waters have continued to be free from toxic red tides like Kabasalan in Sibuguey Bay, Zambaonga Sibugay, Balite Bay in Mati, Davao Oriental and Hinatuan Bay in Surigao del Sur.

Also safe to eat coastal products in Irong-irong, Maqueda and Villareal Bays in Samar and Ormoc, San Pedro, Cancabato and Carigara Bays in Leyte, Biliran Waters in Biliran Province and Juag Lagoon in Matnog, Sorsogon, she said.

Places in Pilar, President Roxas, Pontevedra, Panay, Roxas City, Ivisan and Sapian in Capiz and E.B. Magalona, Pontevedra, Pulupandan, Villadolid, Talisay City, Bacolod City, Hinigaran, Cadiz City, Victoria City, Bago City and San Enrique in Negros Occidental are also safe

She narrates that also no problem in Cavite, Las Pinas, Paranaque, Navotas, Bulacan and Bataan in Manila Bay and Alaminos, Anda, Bolinao and Wawa, Bani in Pangasinan and Masinloc Bay in Zambales.
Milagros and Mandaon in Masbate, Honda and Puerto Bays in Puerto Princesa City and Inner Malampaya Sound in Taytay, Palawan are also safe she added.