By Sarwell Meniano | Philippine News Agency
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has confirmed the presence of toxic red tide in Ormoc Bay in Leyte and Biliran Island this week based on examination of shellfish collected.
The two areas have been added to the four other bays in the region earlier verified as contaminated with toxic red tide based on tests of shellfish as listed under Shellfish Bulletin No. 30 issued on Nov. 27.
These are the coastal waters of Leyte, Leyte; Daram Island in Samar; Zumarraga Island in Samar; and Irong-Irong Bay in Catbalogan City, Samar.
The public is strictly advised not to collect, sell, or eat any type of shellfish, including small shrimp, in these areas, the BFAR advisory said.
Fish, squid, shrimp, and crabs remain safe for human consumption if they are fresh and washed thoroughly, and their internal organs, such as gills and intestines, are removed before cooking.
“The interplay of unusual weather patterns is seen to have a direct impact on unpredictable weather conditions in Eastern Visayas. Dry season and the onset of occasional heavy rainfalls could have triggered the upwelling of inner shallow bays, bringing up sediments laden with red tide microorganism cysts,” BFAR Eastern Visayas said in a statement on Thursday.
These microorganisms, the agency added, use the organic load that comes with the sediments to start the bloom.
Meanwhile, four other bays have the presence of Pyrodinium bahamense, a dinoflagellate that produces red tide toxin. This was found through filtered seawater sampling by BFAR.
These bays are Cancabato Bay in Tacloban City, the coastal waters of Guiuan in Eastern Samar, the coastal waters of Calbayog City in Samar, and Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar.
The seawater condition prompted the fisheries bureau to issue a local shellfish advisory as a precautionary measure to the public against gathering, selling, and eating all types of shellfish and small shrimp from these areas to avoid possible paralytic shellfish poisoning.