Red tide alert up in Iloilo

CEBU, Philippines - Iloilo Vice Governor Raul Tupas on Thursday advised the public not to consume shellfishes coming from the coastal waters of Gigantes Island in Carles town of Iloilo, saying they are not safe for consumption.

Tupas’ warning came after the latest shellfish advisory from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources revealing that the waters of Gigantes Island tested positive of the red tide toxin.

Red tide is a common name for a phenomenon known as an algal bloom (large concentrations of aquatic microorganisms) when it is caused by a few species of dinoflagellates and the bloom takes on a red or brown color.

A press statement from the Iloilo Capitol said fishermen were also warned against gathering, transporting and marketing shellfish from the area until such time that the shellfish toxicity goes down.

According to the BFAR advisory, the paralytic shellfish poisoning level in shellfish samples collected from the area on October 14 was at 45-104 µgSTXeq/100g – above the regulatory limit of 60 µgSTXeq/100g of shellfish meat.

BFAR-Region 6 Director Asis Perez clarified that the fish, squid, shrimp and crab harvested from the area were “safe for human consumption provided that they are fresh and washed thoroughly and their internal organs such as gills and intestines are removed before cooking.”

In coordination with the Iloilo Provincial Bantay Dagat Task Force, BFAR-6 will continuously monitor the coastal waters of Gigantes Island until the area is declared negative of red tide. A weekly sampling activity for planktons and shellfish started yesterday. —Jennifer P. Rendon (FREEMAN)