The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) maintained its red tide advisory over Dauis and Tagbilaran, along with several other nearby areas in Samar and Leyte.

In its January 14 Shellfish Bulletin, BFAR Director Eduardo Gongona advised the public not to harvest, sell, buy, or eat “all types of shellfish and Acetes species or alamang gathered from certain coastal waters of at least six provinces in the Visayas.

These are the same six provinces previously covered in the December 28 Shellfish Bulletin.

However, one has been cleared, while three have been added.

The areas already included in previous shellfish bulletin and were still included in the January 14 bulletin as positive for red tide toxin were the coastal waters of Dauis and Tagbilaran City in Bohol; Irong-Irong and Cambatutay Bays in Western Samar; Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar; coastal waters of Leyte, and Carigara Bay in Leyte; coastal waters of Gigantes Islands in Carles, Iloilo; and the coastal waters of Biliran province.

The coastal waters of Calubian in Leyte was previously included but BFAR cleared it in the January 14 bulletin.

Added in the January 14 bulletin are the Maqueda Bay, Villareal Bay and coastal waters of Daram Island in Western Samar as positive for paralytic shellfish poison or red tide toxin.

Red tide alert has been standing in the concern areas in the provinces of Western Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Iloilo, and Bohol and remained hoisted as laboratory results showed that they are “still positive of paralytic shellfish poison that is beyond the regulatory limit”.

Biliran province has been added as of December 28 as its coastal waters “have been found positive for red tide toxin”.

“All types of shellfish and Acetes species or alamang gathered from these areas are not safe for human consumption,” according to Gongona.

BFAR explained though that “fish, squids, shrimps and crabs are safe for human consumption- -provided that they are fresh and washed thoroughly, and internal organs such as gills and intestines are removed before cooking”.

For further guidance, BFAR enumerated several areas that remained free from toxic red tide.

These areas are the coastal waters of Cavite, Las Piñas, Parañaque, Navotas, Bulacan and Bataan (Mariveles, Limay, Orion, Pilar, Balanga, Orani, Abucay and Samal) in Manila Bay; coastal waters of Bolinao, Anda, Alaminos, Sual and Wawa, Bani in Pangasinan; Masinloc Bay in Zambales; coastal waters of Milagros and Mandaon in Masbate; Juag Lagoon in Matnog and Sorsogon Bay in Sorsogon; Honda and Puerto Bays in Puerto Princesa City and Inner Malampaya Sound in Taytay, Palawan.

The safe areas in Western Visayas are the coastal waters of Pilar, Panay, President Roxas, Roxas City in Capiz and Sapian Bay (Ivisan and Sapian in Capiz; Mambuquiao and Camansi in Batan, Aklan); coastal waters of Altavas, Batan and New Washington in Batan Bay, Aklan; coastal waters of of E.B. Magalona, Pontevedra, Pulupandan, Valladolid, Talisay City, Silay City, Bacolod City, Hinigaran, Cadiz City, Victorias City, Bago City, Binalbagan and San Enrique in Negros Occidental.

The safe areas in Eastern Visayas are San Pedro Bay, Cancabato Bay in Tacloban City, and the coastal waters of Calubian (recently cleared) in Leyte.

Safe areas in Mindanao are Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur; Tantanang Bay in Zamboanga Sibugay; Murcielagos Bay in Zamboanga del Norte and Misamis Occidental; Hinatuan, Bislig and Lianga Bays in Surigao del Sur; Balite Bay in Mati, Davao Oriental; and Tanguines Lagoon in Benoni Mahinog, Camiguin Island.

BFAR-7 hoisted the red tide alert covering Dauis and Tagbilaran areas on November 19, after laboratory results showed high concentration of red tide organisms in these areas.

High concentration of red tide toxins was also found in the same areas in the past, prompting BFAR to hoist the red tide alert from June in 2015 until March last year.

Even when the red tide alert was already lifted in March last year, BFAR-7 continued monitoring these areas.

In the middle of October last year, BFAR-7 started noting signs of possible resurgence of red tide toxins to high concentration.