By Ernie Esconde/PNA
BALANGA CITY, Bataan — The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on Friday issued an advisory that shellfish caught in the coastal waters of Bataan are affected by red tide and not safe for human consumption.
Danilo Abrera, fisheries division chief of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, said that shellfish samples collected in Bataan tested positive for the Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP).
The toxin level in the shellfish samples taken from the area are above the regulatory limit of 60 ugSTXeq per 100 grams of shellfish meat, Abrera said.
“The public is advised to refrain from eating, gathering and harvesting, transporting and marketing shellfish from eight towns and a city in Bataan until such time that the toxicity level has gone below the regulatory limit,” he said.
Included in the ban are shellfish from the towns of Hermosa, Orani, Samal, Abucay, Pilar, Orion, Limay, and Mariveles, and the City of Balanga.
He said BFAR and the provincial government of Bataan are continuously monitoring the affected areas to safeguard public health.
Abrera, however, said crabs, shrimps and fish are safe to eat but these sea products should be fresh and properly cleaned.
Bataan was also affected by red tide during the same period last year.
