Red tide advisory still up in Medellin

The red tide advisory raised over coastal areas in Medellin town and nearby areas is still in effect.

Medellin Mayor Ricardo Ramirez told The FREEMAN that the ban on sea urchin consumption raised by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-7 is still hoisted over the area, particularly in barangay Canhabagat.

He said BFAR told them it may take months for the algal bloom to disappear.

BFAR issued the warning a week ago after finding high toxicity level from the samples gathered from the coastal areas specifically in the barangay.

The advisory discouraged the public from eating sea urchins, and banned the collection and sale of the sea creatures from three of the town’s coastal barangays, citing the presence of red tide.

“Paralytic shellfish poisoning toxin levels in sea urchin samples collected from the area is 5,788 micrograms (µg) saxitoxin equivalent (STX eq) per 100 grams (g) of sea urchin gonads,” the advisory said.

Saxitoxin is a neuropoison found in some marine algae.

Algal bloom, commonly known as red tide, is a phenomenon that occurs when marine algae accumulates or blooms rapidly in a coastal area. Since a number of algae species contain saxitoxin, algal bloom may be harmful to human life.  The algae involved may sometimes be a striking red color, but it is just as often not the case.

The ban will be effective “until such time that the toxicity level has gone down below the regulatory level,” Ramirez quoted the advisory.

A three-year-old girl from barangay Canhabagat died last March 10 of food poisoning after eating “con-con” or sea urchin meat. 

Weeks before the girl’s death, 15 fishermen from the same barangay were also rushed to the hospital for showing signs of food poisoning. —Ferliza C. Contratista/MEEV